Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40500260›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Subnational survey data reveal persistent gaps in living standards across 75 low and middle-income countries.

Roman Hoffmann, Omkar Patange, Caroline Zimm, Shonali Pachauri, Camille Belmin, Setu Pelz, Elina Brutschin, Jarmo S Kikstra, Michael Kuhn, Jihoon Min and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Roman HoffmannInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria. hoffmannr@iiasa.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3512-1737
Omkar PatangeInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria. patange@iiasa.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6075-8214
Caroline ZimmInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5603-1015
Shonali PachauriInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8138-3178
Camille BelminInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.
Setu PelzInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3528-8679
Elina BrutschinInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7040-3057
Jarmo S KikstraInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9405-1228
Michael KuhnInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0424-3221
Jihoon MinInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0020-1174
Raya MuttarakInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0627-4451
Keywan RiahiInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7193-3498
Thomas SchinkoInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1156-7574
Kian Mintz-WooInternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9216-9561

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many households worldwide face substantial gaps in decent living standards (DLS), universal and essential material preconditions for achieving well-being and inclusive development. Here, we use subnational Demographic and Health Survey data from 75 low and middle-income countries (1990-2021) to explore the distribution and trends of ten living standards. We estimate that 94.9% of households in our dataset lack the material prerequisites for at least one of the ten standards, and 63.6% for one-third of them. Stark inequalities persist both within and between countries, with regions in sub-Saharan Africa experiencing the most severe deprivations. Despite some improvements, progress remains limited in critical areas such as health care, sanitation, housing, and education. Within countries, rural, agrarian households with low levels of educational attainment are particularly disadvantaged. These granular findings at the subnational level can help direct policy efforts and resources towards those populations most in need.

Indexed as

Developing CountriesEducational StatusFamily CharacteristicsHealth SurveysHousingHumansIncomeRural PopulationSanitationSocioeconomic Factors

Identifiers

PMID40500260
PMCPMC12159188

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.