KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has been ranked South Africa’s poorest province, with 23 million people in South Africa considered poor. This is according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) revised poverty trends report released on Thursday. Stats SA said the Poverty Trends in South Africa report reveals a significant decline in poverty rates over the past seventeen years.
“The proportion of the population living below the lower-bound poverty line (LBPL) – set at R1 300 per person per month (in 2023 prices) – fell to 37.9% in 2023, a reduction of 19,6 percentage points since 2006. “This equates to approximately 23.2 million people living in poverty in 2023, roughly 4.1 million fewer poor individuals compared to 2006,” Stats SA said. Stats SA added that KZN, Eastern Cape, North West, and Limpopo continue to have the highest poverty headcounts, irrespective of the poverty line used.
“Collectively, these provinces were home to nearly 60% of South Africa’s poor in 2023, with KwaZulu-Natal alone accounting for about one in four. “Western Cape and Gauteng remain the provinces with the lowest poverty rates in the country. However, Gauteng experienced a notable increase in its share of the poor between 2015 and 2023, and now accounts for about 20% of the country’s poor,” it said.
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Stats that progress in reducing poverty have been most pronounced among black African and coloured populations. “However, the report notes a slight increase in poverty rates among white and Indian/Asian groups between 2015 and 2023; though, their overall poverty share remains very small compared to black Africans who accounted for 93.6% of all poor persons in 2023.” #Newzroom405’s@NtoksKhumalospeaks to Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke about SA’s poverty levels. Stats SA today reported that poverty levels have decreased significantly in the post 17 years.Watch:https://t.co/irxcrqgZGApic.twitter.com/yVHsqIlI6j
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