Poverty and Disability: Evidence from Africa

This paper examines the relationship between disability and poverty among working-age adults in Africa, using nationally representative household surveys from 27 countries that include the Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Functioning. The paper provides the most comprehensive cross-country analysis of disability in Africa to date, documenting disability prevalence, sociodemographic patterns, and the association between disability and poverty at both national and regional levels. Results show that disability is more common among women, rural residents, and older adults, and is closely linked with poverty. Prevalence is 3.6 per cent among women compared to 2.3 per cent among men, 3.4 per cent in rural areas versus 2.6 per cent in urban areas, and 4.4 per cent among adults aged 34–49 compared to 2.3 per cent among those aged 18–33. Weighted probit regressions demonstrate a robust association between disability and an elevated risk of both asset poverty and multidimensional poverty in most countries, even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. These findings underscore the imperative to systematically mainstream disability inclusion into national poverty reduction strategies and directly address the needs of persons with disabilities through targeted interventions.