10 facts about poverty in South Africa and the world
Despite reports that South Africa’s poverty statistics are dropping, today's International Day for Eradication of Poverty stands to remind us that more work still needs to be done.
1. Some of the poorest provinces in South Africa include Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, with 77% and 72% of their populations living in poverty. Their struggles include lack of access to clean water and sanitation.
2. South Africa’s current unemployment rate is at 25.5%, and contributes heavily to the country’s poverty levels.
3. The labour absorption rate for the black majority in South Africa between the ages of 15 and 64 is only 36.8%, compared to 62.3% for the white population.
4. In 2007, 47% of South Africa’s population was living under the food poverty line. The poverty line refers to those who live on less than 322 rand per month for food. Globally, more than 3 billion people in the world live on less than 2.50 US dollars a day, or roughly 27.70 rand a day.
5. Along with high levels of poverty, South Africa also has high levels of inequality, and has been ranked as one of the most unequal societies in the world in terms of wealth and education.
6. Other highly unequal societies in the world include the United Kingdom, the United States, Mozambique, Argentina and Singapore.
7. Over 50% of South Africa’s children also live below the poverty line, and are prone to malnutrition. According to UNICEF, over 2 billion children are living in poverty in a total world population of 7.1 billion people.
8. Social grants have played a crucial role in minimising poverty in the country, and to date, more that 30% of South Africa’s population relies on a social grant. Social grant spending is expected to increase from 118 billion rand in 2013 and 2014 budgetary period to 145 billion rand by 2016.
9. Education is a roadmap away from poverty and towards empowerment, but with South Africa’s poor public education system, it sustains the poverty cycle instead of breaking it.
10. Infectious diseases wreak havoc in developing countries in particular due to a lack of education, and uneasy access to essential healthcare and health advice, among others. According to the United Nations, 18% of South African’s population was living with HIV in 2013, 9% were in Nigeria, 6% were in India, 2% in China and 4% in the United States.
