Introduction: Depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses, and has been classified as a public health problem worldwide and has been reported in relation to the condition of poverty. Objective: To determine the relationship between multidimensional poverty status and the presence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the adult population in Colombia. Methodology: Analytical cross-sectional study in which was evaluated the relationship between the multidimensional poverty index and the presence of major depressive disorder in the Colombian population. Results: 10,404 subjects older than 18 years were included. The mean age was 43.39 (SD 16.7) and 59.4% were women. The majority of households (78.8%) were classified as non-poverty according to the MPI, 76.6% were located in urban areas with representation from all regions of the country. A prevalence of MDD of 1.7% was found, with higher prevalence in Bogotá (2.7%) and the Pacific (2.4%). It was found that members of households living in poverty have a higher risk of depression (OR: 1,824 CI: 1,194-2,786), women (OR: 2,198 CI: 1,549-3,118), single, separated, widowed, or divorced (OR: 1,986 CI: 1.46-2.7) and living in urban area (OR: 1.62 IC: 1,139-2,305). Discussion: In the present study the existence of a relationship between the poverty condition and the depressive disorder was found. This relationship was more evident for the MDD in the last 12 months in people who belong to households in a state of poverty.
