Household food insecurity in Bangladesh: A micro econometric analysis of economic vulnerability, income risk, and livelihood finance

Abstract

This study investigates the causes of household food insecurity in Bangladesh by evaluating the contributions of socioeconomic factors, livelihood models, market accessibility, and geographical inequalities. It answers 4 related questions about whether food insecurity is associated with education, livelihood type, and market accessibility at the local level. The research is based on nationally representative household survey data from Bangladesh and defines household food insecurity as a binary outcome based on the Food Consumption Score. A binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of food insecurity and average marginal effects were provided to demonstrate the magnitude of the estimated relationship. A robustness check was also performed using a probit model. The findings indicate that 26.5 percent of households are food insecure. Women-headed households are at great risk of food insecurity. Households led by people with no or low education are also more susceptible. Daily wage labor is associated with an increased risk of food insecurity, whereas farming households are at a lower risk. Regional disparity is also significant, and Rangpur is more vulnerable than Dhaka. In comparison, market access is no longer statistically significant once socioeconomic, livelihood, and regional variables are included in the model. The results indicate that the food security policies should focus more on gender-sensitive assistance, educational progress, and livelihood stabilization. Geographically targeted interventions should be made to structurally vulnerable areas as well. The findings also suggest that livelihood security and income stability are more important than physical proximity to markets.