ABSTRACT This paper measures the poverty level of resettlers in the floodplains of the downstream Yellow River before and after resettlement. The Shapley value decomposition method is used to measure the influence of various factors on vulnerability to poverty, and the difference-in-differences model is used to analyse the impact of different resettlement modes on vulnerability to poverty. The results show that relocation greatly increases the risk of poverty for some resettlers. Higher education levels, physical health, and strong labour ability help reduce vulnerability to poverty. Differences in income, education level, and the health status of families are the primary causes of poverty risk.