Concept and Methodology, Version 2026
This report outlines the revised methodology of the INFORM Severity Index, a comprehensive, data-driven tool for assessing humanitarian crises globally. The revision was prompted by user feedback and changes in the data ecosystem since the last publication of the methodology in 2020, and it was developed through a rigorous collaboration between the Joint Research Centre and ACAPS.
A statistical audit of the methodology confirmed its overall robustness, validating its core principles. Based on these findings, the revision focused on refining data collection processes and scoring, improving the aggregation of the "Concentration of conditions," finding alternatives for outdated indicators, and recalculating the model. Further key changes include the rescaling of the score to a 0-10 scale for better alignment with other INFORM products and a revision to the approach for data reliability propagation. This revised methodology enhances the Index's transparency and accuracy, ultimately improving its application in humanitarian decision-making.
POLJANSEK Karmen;
PAPADIMITRIOU Eleni;
MARZI Sepehr;
DALLA VALLE Daniele;
KOZMA Radoslav;
SALVI Andrea;
VALLI Igor;
SINGER Olivia;
JABER Farrah;
MUKHAYE Eugine;
2026-02-03
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC144740
978-92-68-35306-6 (online),
978-92-68-35307-3 (print),
1831-9424 (online),
1018-5593 (print),
EUR 40592,
EUR 40592 (print),
OP KJ-01-25-671-EN-N (online),
OP KJ-01-25-671-EN-C (print),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144740,
10.2760/2266313 (online),
10.2760/3965154 (print),
