As of 2023, around 18.2 million people in South Africa are living in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 1.90 U.S. dollars daily. This means that 162,859 more people were pushed into poverty compared to 2022. Moreover, the headcount was forecast to increase in the coming years. By 2030, over 19.1 million South Africans will live on a maximum of 1.90 U.S. dollars per day.
Who is considered poor domestically?
Poverty is measured using several matrices. For example, local authorities tend to rely on the national poverty line, assessed based on consumer price indices (CPI) of a basket of goods of food and non-food components. In 2023, the domestic poverty line in South Africa stood at 1,058 South African rands per month (around 55.23 U.S. dollars per month). According to a survey, social inequality and poverty worried a significant share of the South African respondents. As of June 2023, some 29 percent of the respondents reported that they were worried about the state of poverty and unequal income distribution in the country.
KwaZulu-Natal’s residents received more grants
South Africa’s labor market has struggled to absorb the country’s population. In 2021, almost a third of the economically active population was unemployed. Local authorities employ relief assistance and social grants in an attempt to reduce poverty and assist poor individuals. In 2019, almost 18 million South Africans received state support, with the majority, over 4.1 million people, in KwaZulu-Natal.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030
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World Data Lab. (October 10, 2023). Number of people living in extreme poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/1263290/number-of-people-living-in-extreme-poverty-in-south-africa/
World Data Lab. "Number of people living in extreme poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030 ." Chart. October 10, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/1263290/number-of-people-living-in-extreme-poverty-in-south-africa/
World Data Lab. (2023). Number of people living in extreme poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030 . Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 20, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/1263290/number-of-people-living-in-extreme-poverty-in-south-africa/
World Data Lab. "Number of People Living in Extreme Poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030 ." Statista, Statista Inc., 10 Oct 2023, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/1263290/number-of-people-living-in-extreme-poverty-in-south-africa/
World Data Lab, Number of people living in extreme poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030 Statista, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/1263290/number-of-people-living-in-extreme-poverty-in-south-africa/ (last visited September 20, 2024)
Number of people living in extreme poverty in South Africa from 2016 to 2030 [Graph], World Data Lab, October 10, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/1263290/number-of-people-living-in-extreme-poverty-in-south-africa/