IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

P0310.1 - National Poverty Lines

In 2012, the South African government adopted the use of three national poverty lines for the measurement and monitoring of money-metric poverty in the country. For the construction of these lines, Statistics South Africa used an internationally recognized approach, namely the cost-of-basic-needs approach which links welfare to the consumption of goods and services. The National Poverty Lines statistical release provides the annual inflation-adjusted line values for South Africa’s three official poverty lines, namely the food poverty line (FPL), lower-bound poverty line (LBPL) and upper-bound poverty line (UBPL). These lines capture different degrees of poverty and allow the country to measure and monitor poverty at different levels.

Poverty and Inequality

Annual

Statistical Release