% of supported households able to cover the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) from their own income

Definition & calculation

Numerator: Number of supported households whose average monthly income equals or exceeds the value of the locally defined Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB), measured at endline

Denominator: Total number of supported households surveyed at endline

Compare each surveyed household's self-reported average monthly income against the current MEB value for the area, then divide the households meeting or exceeding it by all households surveyed.

Formula: (Numerator ÷ Denominator) × 100

Means of verification

Household income and expenditure survey; endline or post-distribution household survey

Interpretation

Direction: Higher is better

Typical reporting frequency: Baseline, midline and endline (or annual)

Guidance & common pitfalls

Use the most recent inter-agency MEB for the area and adjust for inflation; income self-reporting is prone to recall and social-desirability bias, so triangulate with expenditure data where possible.

This library is a curated reference to adapt, aligned generically with recognised humanitarian frameworks (Sphere, cluster registries, IASC, CHS and others). It is not an official indicator registry — always use the exact indicator definitions your donor or cluster requires.