Economic Capacity to Meet Essential Needs (ECMEN)

The Economic Capacity to Meet Essential Needs (ECMEN) indicator measures the economic vulnerability of households. It is a core vulnerability outcome indicator within the UNHCR–WFP Joint Analytical Framework.

Defined as the percentage of households whose economic capacity is sufficient to meet their basic needs, it is measured through a minimum expenditure basket (MEB). Households are considered to have the economic capacity to meet their basic needs if their consumption expenditures exceed the minimum expenditure basket (the cost of what a household requires to meet basic needs).

Understanding ECMEN helps inform programme design for UNHCR and partners by identifying households with insufficient economic capacity to meet their basic needs.

For detailed technical guidance, data collection tools, and scripts to calculate ECMEN, please refer to the WFP VAM Resource Centre ECMEN page, which provides:

• Technical guidance notes
• Survey modules and XLS forms
• Calculation scripts (SPSS, STATA)
• Training materials for enumerators and FAQs