According to economists Rutger Schilpzand and Jeroen Smits from Radboud University, to get a good idea of ​​a country’s level of development, you need to look at the items in people’s homes. Research on low- and middle-income countries often focuses on income, health or education, but this doesn’t tell you the full story of a country’s situation. Schilpzand explains: ‘That’s why we’re mapping for the first time how household material wealth develops. Researchers call this increase in material wealth for households the ‘domestic transition’. Their research was published today Journal of International Development.

Today, people in rich countries could not imagine life without refrigerators, televisions or washing machines; However, before 1960, very few households had these devices. But things moved quickly from there: Just fifteen years later, these items could be found in almost every kitchen and living room in these countries. This development from a society in which households owned almost none of such items, to a society in which almost every household owned such items, is what researchers call the ‘intra-family transition’. In their article, they explain what this transition means for developing countries and what factors contribute to a faster transition.

Decent standard of living

All these devices that homes in rich countries have today represent the basic conditions for what can be called a decent standard of living. ‘Almost every household in the world that is wealthy enough to afford such products does so,’ says Smits. ‘And this is not surprising, because behind all the colorful images we see of women doing laundry in markets or in the river in developing countries, lies a huge burden of time and energy that often falls on the shoulders of (house)wives.’ ‘Buying a refrigerator or washing machine immediately reduces their workload and creates space for them to spend their time more productively,’ agrees Schilpzand. ‘Therefore, family transition is an important prerequisite for strengthening women’s position worldwide.’

Phase and speed of transition

Rich countries completed the domestic transition decades ago, but in many developing countries the process is still ongoing or may have just begun. The researchers wanted to know whether the transition in developing countries followed a similar pattern to that in Western countries a few decades ago. This pattern was characterized by a slow start, followed by a rapid run towards mass adoption of a particular item, followed by a ceiling being reached. To answer this question, they examined, among others, TV and refrigerator ownership in 1,342 different locations in 88 low- and middle-income countries.

The transition indeed followed a pattern that differed little from that seen in Western countries. However, significant differences were observed both between and within countries in terms of the stage and speed of transition. Smits: ‘While China and Mexico have largely completed the transition, the transition has not yet begun in rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa. ‘There, basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter must be met before people even think of buying a refrigerator.’

Related factors

The data also reveals that the transition starts earlier and progresses faster in cities. In addition, the transition occurs faster in regions where economic development is greater and the level of education is higher. It also seems important that the ratio of child and elderly population is more suitable than the working age population.

‘Our analyzes gave us a better understanding of the situation of households in developing countries, what is still needed to ensure a decent standard of living there, and how quickly this can be achieved,’ explains Schilpzand.

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