The Spatial Dimension of Poverty Based on Unsatisfied Basic Needs in Ecuador: A Spatial Panel Approach from 2001 to 2022

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Diego Ontaneda
Andrés Sebastián Salazar Zari
Alex Fernando Sanchez Guamán
Luis Rodrigo Mendieta

Resumen

This paper examines the spatial and temporal dynamics of poverty in Ecuador at the cantonal level over the period 2001-2022. It combines the traditional unsatisfied basic needs (UBN) approach with the CAPECO index to address limitations in the measurement of household economic capacity. The analysis proceeds in four stages: multidimensional poverty measurement, distributional dynamics, exploratory spatial data analysis, and spatial panel econometric modeling. The results reveal a substantial but uneven decline in poverty, with improvements concentrated in housing conditions and school attendance, while access to basic services and economic capacity remain persistent constraints. Spatial analysis uncovers increasing clustering of poverty, with high-high clusters consolidating along the central and northern Coast and low- -low clusters in the central-northern Sierra. Distributional dynamics further indicate limited mobility and the presence of territorial poverty traps. Econometric evidence from a Spatial Durbin Model highlights human capital as the most robust driver of poverty reduction, both locally and through spillover effects, whereas unemployment and primary-sector dependence significantly contribute to the persistence and spatial propagation of such poverty. Overall, the findings suggest that poverty in Ecuador is a territorially interdependent phenomenon that requires coordinated regional policies that transcend administrative boundaries

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ONTANEDA, D. D., Salazar Zari, A. S., Sanchez Guamán, A. F., & Mendieta, L. R. (2026). The Spatial Dimension of Poverty Based on Unsatisfied Basic Needs in Ecuador: A Spatial Panel Approach from 2001 to 2022. Cuestiones Económicas, 36(1), Autores: Andrés Sebastián Salazar-Zari, Alex Fernando Sánchez-Guamán, Diego Danny Ontaneda Jiménez y Luis Rodrigo Mendieta. https://doi.org/10.47550/RCE/36.1.5
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