Self-Reported Food Insecurity and Objective Poverty Measures in Periods of Subsequent Shocks: What Do Subjective Indicators Capture? The case of Mozambique

Accurate measurement and continuous tracking of household food security are central to the design and evaluation of poverty-focused development interventions. Food security is a core dimension of household poverty and vulnerability. Research on food security and poverty has traditionally relied on objective indicators such as household consumption, calorie availability, and multidimensional poverty indices. However, a growing body of literature highlights the value of subjective and self-reported measures of food insecurity, which may capture dimensions of deprivation and vulnerability not reflected in standard welfare metrics.

This study examines self-reported food insecurity indicators in Mozambique and compares them with conventional welfare measures over the period 2014/15–2022, a decade marked by successive and compounding shocks. Using data from the 2014/15, 2019/20, and 2022 household budget surveys, the analysis shows that the determinants of self-reported food insecurity extend beyond household consumption levels, calorie availability, and multidimensional poverty status.

Available at:https://doi.org/10.55158/DEEPWP42