Multidimensional poverty and academic achievement of children experiencing deprivation: An empirical study of a rural county in Western China

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between multidimensional child poverty (MCP) and academic achievement among children in a disadvantaged rural context in western China. Using the Alkire–Foster method and survey data from 1960 fifth- and eighth-grade students in Jie County (a pseudonym), it constructs an MCP index across four dimensions—economic resources, education, health, and family life—and investigates the explanatory roles of learning attitudes, educational expectations, and school support in this relationship. Four main findings emerge. First, at $k=0.3$, approximately 40% of sampled children were multidimensionally poor, with the education dimension contributing the largest share of deprivation. Second, higher MCP was negatively associated with Chinese, mathematics, and English achievement after adjustment for individual characteristics and the explanatory factors. Third, quantile regressions revealed heterogeneous patterns across the achievement distribution: the negative association was strongest around the 75th percentile among fifth graders but generally more pronounced among lower- and middle-achieving eighth graders. Fourth, the KHB decomposition indicated that the explanatory factors statistically accounted for part of the MCP–achievement association, with students’ own educational expectations and teacher support contributing most. These findings demonstrate that child poverty in disadvantaged rural settings is multidimensional and closely associated with educational outcomes. Policies should therefore move beyond economic assistance to strengthen educational resources, family support, and school-based interventions.