As with all indexes, the MPI has some limitations. As mentioned, data are from the household rather than the individual level (such as whether anychild of school age is out of school or whether anyfamily member is undernourished). It does not fully distinguish between past and present conditions (because its measure is whether a child has ever died). It does not distinguish differences 218 PART TWO Problems and Policies: Domestic
within households (such as who may make use of the bicycle or whether the undernourished individuals are females).