Quantitative Approaches to Analyse Rural Livelihood Strategies

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook chapterResearchpeer-review

Being able to measure and analyse livelihoods is essential to design evidence-based interventions to meet sustainable development goals. In consequence, the number of empirical livelihood studies has proliferated. Most use one or more of the major elements of the sustainable livelihood conceptual framework: assets, contexts, activities and strategies and outcomes. Reviews on measuring and analysing livelihood strategies are scant. In this chapter, we review the literature on static and dynamic measurements and analyses of livelihood strategies. We identify five approaches for measuring livelihood strategies: income composition, asset allocation, a combination of income and asset-based, activity choice (including allocation of labour and other inputs), and choice experiment-based techniques. For each method, we present: the data required; how such data can be generated, processed and analysed; and the pros and cons. Empirical examples from recent research in Nepal, Cambodia, Tanzania and Kenya are used for illustration. The chapter ends by identifying the research frontier - the advancements that would enable more accurate measurement and analysis of livelihood strategies and their dynamics.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Routledge Handbook on Livelihoods in the Global South
EditorsFiona Nunan, Clare Barnes, Sukanya Krishnamurthy
Number of pages11
PublisherRoutledge
Publication date2022
Pages93-103
Chapter9
ISBN (Print)978-0-367-85635-9, 978-1-032-26005-1
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-003-01404-1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022
SeriesRoutledge International Handbooks

ID: 332136047