Townsend deprivation index

proper noun

A measure of material deprivation within a population, based on four variables: unemployment, non-car ownership, non-home ownership, and household overcrowding.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proper noun
  1. human sciencesA measure of material deprivation within a population, based on four variables: unemployment, non-car ownership, non-home ownership, and household overcrowding.

Origin

First described by sociologist Peter Townsend in 1988.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Townsend deprivation index. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Townsend%20deprivation%20index

MLA

“Townsend deprivation index.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Townsend%20deprivation%20index. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Townsend deprivation index,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Townsend%20deprivation%20index.

Source: Townsend deprivation index on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.