Stats SA's national poverty line report shows that basic survival costs continue to rise.
Picture; iStock
The amount South Africans need each month to afford basic food and other essentials has increased, according to new figures released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Thursday.
Poverty lines rise with living costs
The latest figures show that the food poverty line increased from R855 in 2025 to R868 per person per monthin 2026. This line measures the absolute minimum amount of money needed to buy enough basic food to survive each day without starving.
The lower-bound poverty line rose by R42 from R1 415 to R1 457 per person per month. This line adds a tiny amount for essentials like housing and clothing, based on what the poorest families spend on non-food items after buying just enough food to survive.
While the upper-bound poverty line increased by R116 from R2 846 to R2 962 per person per month. This is the total money a person needs to afford basic daily meals plus essential non-food basics like shelter, clothing, and medicine.
Stats SA emphasised that the figures from 2023 to 2026 are linked to May prices and are based on the consumer price index, or CPI.
Long-term increase since 2006
The latest figures continue a broad upward trend in the national poverty lines.
In 2006, the food poverty line stood at R228 per person per month. It has since increased nearly fourfold to R868. The lower-bound poverty line rose from R461 to R1 457, while the upper-bound poverty line climbed from R1 054 to R2 962.
Stats SA notes that poverty lines now reflect actual changes in what families buy – based on new 2022/23 survey data – rather than just adjusting older costs for inflation.
What is in the food basket?
Stats SA measures poverty by looking at what people actually buy and use.
To determine what a basic food basket looks like, Stats SA studied the spending habits of lower- to middle-income families (the 2nd to 6th poorest income groups). They left out the very poorest 10% of households so that extreme survival strategies wouldn’t skew the results.
Here is how they built the current basket:
- They started with 34 popular foods, then expanded to 46 items to make sure different living areas (urban, rural, and farming communities) and widespread habits were fully captured.
- This 46-item list covers about 90% of all food spending for those households.
- It includes everyday staples like rice, mealie meal, and bread; meat, dairy, and eggs; fruits, vegetables, and beans; plus basics like cooking oil, sugar, tea, coffee and soft drinks.
Stats SA emphasised that this basket isn’t a recommended healthy diet – it is simply a practical measuring tool based on real spending data from their 2022/23 survey.
Why the figures matter
The new thresholds provide a common benchmark for tracking how many people live below different levels of poverty in South Africa.
They also show the pressure that rising prices place on households.
A person living on less than R868 a month is below the food poverty line, while the higher thresholds capture people who may afford some food but remain unable to cover essential non-food needs.
Stats SA says the lines must keep changing as prices and household consumption patterns change. It expects to release the next national poverty lines on 31 August 2027.
