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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Statistics South Africa’s 2025 poverty lines are R855, R1,415 and R2,846 per person per month, in May 2025 prices. But the latest official money-metric poverty rates identified are for 2023, not 2025: 37.9% of people—about 23.2 million—were below that year’s lower-bound poverty line.
South Africa’s poverty lines for 2025
Stats SA uses three national poverty lines to show how many people live below different levels of resources. The amounts below are per person per month and are expressed in May 2025 prices.
| Measure | 2025 amount | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Food poverty line (FPL) | R855 | Resources needed to meet a minimum daily energy requirement; often called the extreme poverty line. |
| Lower-bound poverty line (LBPL) | R1,415 | The food requirement plus a conservative allowance for non-food necessities. Below this line, a person cannot afford sufficient food and essential non-food items without sacrificing food. |
| Upper-bound poverty line (UBPL) | R2,846 | The food requirement plus a broader allowance for non-food needs. |
Stats SA constructs these lines using the Cost of Basic Needs approach, which relates welfare to consumption of goods and services. The LBPL is the line used for the National Development Plan’s poverty targets. Stats SA’s 2025 National Poverty Lines report explains the method and thresholds.
What is the latest poverty rate?
The latest official money-metric estimates identified by Stats SA cover 2006 to 2023. They are not a measurement of poverty in 2025. Using 2023 survey data and the poverty lines applicable to that year, the reported headcounts were:
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| 2023 poverty measure | Share of people below the line | Approximate number | 2023 line amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food poverty line | 17.6% | 10.8 million | R663 per person per month |
| Lower-bound poverty line | 37.9% | 23.2 million | R1,300 per person per month |
| Upper-bound poverty line | 66.7% | 40.8 million | R2, capita |
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