Universal truths or hidden realities-chronic poverty in rural Ethiopia

Combining qualitative and quantitative longitudinal data to study chronic poverty is now recognised to provide deep and reliable insights. This paper uses quantitative and qualitative data collected by Young Lives, a longitudinal study of childhood poverty, to identify factors that contribute to households becoming or remaining poor in rural Ethiopia and the effects of movements in and out of poverty on children within those households. Findings highlight the cumulative nature of shocks and their intersection with pre-existing vulnerabilities and suggest that improvements in household welfare may be at the expense of child well-being.