Stats SA report shows increase in people living in extreme poverty
Overall, the report found that about half of South Africans survive on less than R992 per month.
JOHANNESBURG - Stats SA’S Poverty Trends report shows the number of people living in extreme poverty increased to nearly 14 million between 2011 and 2015.
Statistician General Pali Lehohla released the report on Tuesday, it looks at poverty trends over a 10 year period between 2006 and 2015.
The 2015 food poverty line was R441 per person per month, which is the amount of money needed to buy the bare minimum of food for adequate nutrition.
Stats SA’s poverty trend report found that in that year, 13.8 million people were living on less than that every month.
The figure was an increase of 2.8 million people from the 11 million people living in extreme poverty in 2011.
Overall, the report found that about half of South Africans survive on less than R992 per month.
GROWTH IN NUMBER OF NON-POOR CITIZENS
The report also shows one in two South Africans are considered poor, it also reveals significant growth in the number of people considered non-poor over a decade.
In 2006, when South Africa had a population of about 48 million, nearly 16 million people were considered as being non-poor, with the remaining 66% of the population living under the poverty line.
But in 2015, the number of poor has decreased to 55%. However, the number of people considered non-poor has increased by 8.5 million to more than 24 million people.
The poverty trend report demonstrates the value of education in escaping poverty.
It shows that only 8.4% of people with tertiary qualifications are considered to be poor, compared to 35% with just a matric and 79% with no education at all.
#StatsSA Lehohla: 79% of people with no education are poor - only 8.4% with post-matric qualification considered poor. BB
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) August 22, 2017
#StatsSA females are more exposed to poverty than males - if household headed by a woman, depth of poverty increases. BB
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) August 22, 2017
CORRECTION #StatsSA R441 a month is the food poverty line - 13.8 million people. BB
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) August 22, 2017
