Rapid Consumption Method and Poverty and Inequality Estimation in South Sudan revisited

This paper presents updated poverty and inequality estimates from the South Sudan High Frequency Survey (HFS) consumption data. The HFS uses the Rapid Consumption Methodology (RCM), which skips part of consumption module, to save interview time due to the volatile security situation. The previous methodology adopted the Multivariate Normal Regression (MI-MVN) method to impute the skipped consumption data, but it produced improper consumption data like negative total consumption values for some households. Instead, the new methodology uses the Two-Part multiple imputation (MI) method, and improved the reliability of imputed consumption data, although there is still room for improvement. In addition, the new methodology adopts the latest consumer price index (CPI) and purchasing power parities (PPPs). Lastly, this paper updates the inequality estimates, which the previous method overestimated. As a result of all the above adjustments, South Sudan’s national poverty headcount rate in 2016-17 is 76.4 percent, which is 5.6 percentage points lower than the previous estimate of 82 percent. Inequality, as measured by the national Gini coefficient, is 44.1 percent, around 3 percentage points higher than the previous estimate of 41.0 percent.