 
The Central Statistical Office has held a specialised workshop aimed at developing the country’s first National Multidimensional Poverty Index.
This, it adds, is an important step toward strengthening evidence-based policymaking and improving the measurement of poverty.
For decades, poverty measurement in T&T has relied primarily on monetary indicators based on income and consumption.
The CSO adds that while these measures remain important, they do not fully reflect the lived realities of deprivation experienced by many individuals and households.
It says the Multidimensional Poverty Index offers a more comprehensive approach by examining multiple aspects of well-being, including education, health, housing conditions, employment and access to essential services.
Held from May 25th–29th 2026, the five-day workshop brought together statisticians, policymakers and technical experts from the Ministry of Planning; the Ministry of the People, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.
In a statement, the CSO says “For Trinidad and Tobago, the development of a National MPI will provide policymakers with a powerful tool to identify vulnerable populations, understand the interconnected nature of poverty, monitor the effectiveness of social programmes and track progress toward national development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The index will also help government agencies design more responsive and cost-effective interventions by identifying specific areas where individuals and households face deprivation.”
