National poverty incidence falls

Statistics Botswana Poverty Survey results have shown that national poverty incidence have decreased slightly from 19.3 percent in 2009/10 to 16.3 percent in 2015/16. The survey results show that urban villages recorded a decrease in poverty incidence between the two periods from 19.9 to 13.4 percent, while in rural areas the poverty incidence marginally decreased from 24.3 to 24.2 percent. Presenting the results last week, Deputy Statistician General, Dr Burton Mguni pointed out that urban villages recorded a decrease in poverty incidence between the two periods from 19.9 to 13.4 percent, while in rural areas the poverty incidence marginally decreased from 24.3 to 24.2 percent.

Statistics Botswana carried out the Multi-Topic Household Survey last year to provide a comprehensive set of household level indicators for poverty and the labour market including employment and unemployment levels. Poverty incidence was disaggregated at district and sub-district level and the highest poverty levels were observed in Kweneng West with 50.6 percent followed by Ngwaketse West with 40.3 percent and Kgalagadi South with 39.5 percent while the lowest poverty incidence was recorded in Sowa Town at five percent.

Dr Mguni explained that the national average monthly household consumption expenditure was estimated at P3, 927.43 in 2015/2016, an increase of 28.9 percent, from P3, 045.93 estimated in 2009/10. “Consumption patterns as per the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose showed that at national level, households allocated significant proportions of their consumption expenditure to Transport, at 23.9 percent, followed by Housing Costs and Food at 17.8 percent and 12.8 percent respectively,” said Dr Mguni.

In cities and towns, households allocated 22.2 percent of their consumption expenditure to Transport, followed by Housing Costs at 19.7 percent and Miscellaneous items at 9.7 percent. For urban villages, the largest of consumption expenditure was allocated to Transport at 25.0 percent, followed by Housing Costs and Food at 18.8 percent and 12.8 percent respectively. In rural areas, the largest share of consumption expenditure was allocated to transport at 24.7 percent followed by Food at 21.4 percent and Housing costs at 12.4 percent.

Deputy Statistician General Malebogo Kerekang explained that the survey was a national sample survey covering a total of 7 188 households from cities and towns, urban villages as well as rural areas covering household demographics, education, health, labour and agriculture. Households were visited over a period of two weeks.