Investigating the determinants of household welfare in Côte d'Ivoire

In order to predict the effect of economic policies on household welfare, one should first understand which characteristics of households, and of the localities in which they live, enable them to raise their levels of welfare. This paper outlines a simple procedure for investigating the determinants of household welfare and demonstrates its use with recent data from Côte d'Ivoire. Despite its relative simplicity, much information is obtained from its use on cross-sectional survey data. Results specific to Côre d'Ivoire include: high (low) returns to education in urban (rural) areas; high benefits from cocoa land relative to coffee land; a significantly impact on economic welfare from the availability of medical services, and no apparent benefits from agricultural extension services.