Multidimensional poverty in Brazil's north region

Purpose - This article aims to analyse the spatial and temporal evolution of multidimensional poverty in Brazil's North Region and its relationship with territorial, economic and population dynamics. Design/methodology/approach - A multidimensional poverty index (MPI) was calculated using the Alkire-Foster method and a spatial econometric model was estimated. The data come from population censuses conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) for the years 1991, 2000 and 2010. Findings - The results show a decrease in multidimensional poverty over the period analysed. However, they show this reduction occurred in a heterogeneous way in time and space, with emphasis on microregions in which, despite a reduction in the rate, the percentage of the population considered multidimensionally poor remained high during the 30 years of the study. Research limitations/implications - The quality of available data. Practical implications - It is possible to point out that public policies focused on improving infrastructure in medium-sized locations tend to have two positive effects: first, making production and consumption more accessible and sustainable for local communities, given that currently the cost of transport and logistics are factors that hinder socioeconomic development; second, to reduce the pressure of demand that this population of small and medium-sized locations exerts on public services currently offered only in larger locations. Although the logic of concentrating most public services in the largest cities makes sense in terms of economic efficiency, the particularities of the northern region and the recognition of its environmental importance point to the need for incentives for more spatially distributed economic activity. Social implications - From the paper results, it is possible to think about more local public policies which are able to improve people's lifes without to damage the environment. Originality/value - This is the first study on multidimensional poverty that covers the entire North region of Brazil (Amazon region) and that contemplates both the temporal and spatial dynamics of poverty. Peer review - The peer review history for this article is available at:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2021-0699.