Analysis of Living Standards and Welfare Indicators in Rural Gombe State

Living standards measurement among rural households in North East Nigeria is essential for targeting social protection programmes and monitoring poverty reduction progress. This study analysed living standards and welfare indicators among rural households in Balanga, Kwami, and Shongom Local Government Areas, Gombe State. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted among 360 rural households. Welfare dimensions included per capita consumption expenditure, dietary diversity, housing quality, water and sanitation access, asset ownership, and school attendance. Poverty headcount, gap, and severity indices were estimated using the 2023 NBS upper poverty line. Poverty headcount was 71.4 percent, above the national rural average. Mean per capita monthly expenditure was N12,400. Dietary diversity scores were below the minimum threshold for 58.3 percent. Access to improved water was 31.1 percent and improved sanitation 22.8 percent. Agricultural households with diversified income sources showed 44 percent lower poverty rates. Households receiving government social protection were 28.7 percent less likely to be below the poverty line. Recommendations include expanding conditional cash transfer coverage to identified Gombe rural LGAs, investing in water and sanitation infrastructure, supporting agricultural income diversification, and establishing a state social registry to coordinate welfare targeting in North East Nigeria.

Keywords: living standards, rural households, Gombe State, poverty analysis, welfare indicators