About 23-million South Africans, or 37.9% of the population, are living below the lower-bound poverty line, according to the latest poverty trends released by Stats SA on Tuesday.
The official lower-bound poverty line is set at R1,300 per person per month, while the food poverty line stands at R777.
The figure marks a notable decline from 46.7% in 2015, reflecting an 8.8 percentage-point reduction over the period.
Chief director for poverty and inequality statistics Patricia Koka said despite the improvement, millions remained vulnerable across different groups. Poverty levels declined across all age categories between 2015 and 2023, with the biggest drop recorded among people aged 65 and older, at 11.9 percentage points.
Provincially, the largest declines in poverty were recorded in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. Gauteng was the only province to record an increase, rising slightly from 26.3% in 2015 to 26.5% in 2023, though it remains below the national average.
Education levels also showed uneven progress. Poverty among adults with no schooling dropped significantly from 77.5% in 2006 to 52.7% in 2023. Similar declines were seen among those with some primary and primary education. However, adults with higher education were the only group to record an increase in poverty levels over the period.
Presenting labour statistics, chief director Desiree Manamela said South Africa’s official unemployment rate is 31.4%, but broader measures of labour underutilisation exceed 40% when discouraged job seekers are included.
Koka said updated methods, aligned with standards from the International Labour Organisation, aimed to better reflect realities in the labour market, including informal and unpaid work.
Officials stressed that while poverty levels are declining, the data shows the need for stronger interventions to address inequality and improve living conditions.
TimesLIVE
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