To appreciate the extent of a nation’s development, one must consider the items found in its households, argue economists Rutger Schilpzand and Jeroen Smits from Radboud University. While traditional research on low- and middle-income countries typically concentrates on metrics such as income, health, or education, more is needed to encapsulate a country’s circumstances fully. Schilpzand states, “For the first time, we are charting the progression of household material wealth,” a concept they refer to as the ‘domestic transition’. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of International Development.

In affluent nations today, the absence of essential appliances like refrigerators, televisions, or washing machines is almost inconceivable. Yet, before 1960, only a minority of households possessed these items. The landscape dramatically transformed within a mere decade and a half, with these appliances becoming ubiquitous in kitchens and living rooms across these countries. The researchers describe this shift from a reality where such items are rare to one where they are commonplace as ‘the domestic transition’. Their study elucidates what this transition entails for emerging nations and identifies factors that accelerate it.

These appliances symbolise the minimum for what might be considered a decent standard of living. “Nearly every household in the world that can afford such items does purchase them,” notes Smits, highlighting their profound impact on reducing the daily burdens, particularly of housewives, by saving time and energy. Schilpzand concludes that purchasing a refrigerator or washing machine lightens their workload and allows time to be spent on more productive activities. Thus, the domestic transition is seen as crucial for enhancing the status of women globally.

While affluent countries concluded their domestic transitions decades ago, many developing countries are either amid this transition or are just beginning. The researchers investigated whether the pattern of transition in these emerging nations mirrors that of Western countries in the past, which typically started slowly and then rapidly accelerated until saturation was reached. Their study included data on television and refrigerator ownership across 1,342 regions within 88 low—and middle-income countries.

The pattern of transition they discovered closely resembles that of the West. However, notable variations exist between and within countries regarding the phase and speed of this transition. “While nations like China and Mexico have nearly completed this transition, it has scarcely started in rural Sub-Saharan Africa,” explains Smits. In such regions, necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter must be prioritised before even considering appliance purchases.

The research also highlights that transitions commence sooner and proceed quicker in urban areas, and regions with more significant economic development and higher education levels tend to advance more rapidly. Additionally, a demographic balance favouring a higher proportion of the working-age population relative to children and the elderly is advantageous.

Through their research, Schilpzand and Smits have deepened our understanding of household situations in developing countries, what is required to achieve a reasonable standard of living, and the potential speed of reaching such a goal. Their analysis provides invaluable insights into the socio-economic dynamics influencing household material wealth in developing regions.

More information: Rutger Schilpzand et al, The Domestic Transition: Progress Towards Decent Living of Households in Low and Middle-Income Countries, Journal of International Development. DOI: 10.1002/jid.3965

Journal information: Journal of International Development Provided by Radboud University Nijmegen