In 2014, Statistics South Africa built a national Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) – the South African Multidimensional Poverty Index (or SAMPI). Alongside the three dimensions used in the Global MPI – heath, education and living standards – SAMPI includes a fourth dimension on economic activity, using unemployment as the indicator.

The South African Multidimensional Poverty Index (SAMPI) 2014 used data collected by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) through the censuses of 2001 and 2011. The SAMPI built on the work started with the development of the Provincial Indices of Multiple Deprivation (PIMD) after Census 2001.

The measure was designed to 'improve poverty measurement for the country and to align ourselves with the growing international trend towards measuring poverty beyond the traditional money-metric method'. It is intended to complement the money-metric measures already used in the country, including the food poverty line, the lower-bound poverty line and the upper-bound poverty line.

South Africa has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network since the MPPN was established in 2013. 

• Citation: Statistics South Africa (2014). The South African MPI Creating a multidimensional poverty index using census data. Pretoria. 

Poverty Cut-Off: A person is considered poor if they are deprived in 33.3% or more of the 11 weighted indicators.

The annual global MPI produced by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative in partnership with the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme is an internationally comparable index of acute multidimensional poverty. OPHI publishes Country Briefings summarising poverty statistics of the global MPI for each country. 

Visit the most recent Global MPI Country Briefing for South Africa based on DHS 2016. 

Official institution responsible for statistics

• Statistics South Africa

Events

• 28 February 2023 | Intervention by Risenga Maluleke, Statistician General, StatsSA at UNSC 54 Side Event
• 25 February 2021 | Intervention by Nozipho Shabalala, Chief Director for Poverty and Inequality Statistics, Statistics South Africa at UNSC 52
• 23 September 2020 | Intervention by H.E. Jackson Mthembu, Minister in the Presidency, South Africa at UNGA 75
• 6 March 2020 | Intervention by Risenga Maluleke, the Statistician-General of Statistics South Africa at UNSC 51
• 25 September 2019 | Intervention by H.E. Jackson Mthembu, Minister in the Presidency, South Africa at UNGA 74 
• 5 March 2019 | Intervention by Risenga Maluleke, the Statistician-General of Statistics South Africa at UNSC 50
• 30 October - 1 November 2018 | 6th Annual MPPN Meeting, South Africa
• 25 September 2018 | Intervention by H.E. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister for Defense and Military Veterans, South Africa at UNGA 73
• 8 March 2018 | Intervention by Pali Lehohla, former Statistician-General, South Africa and Steering Committee, MPPN at UNSC 49 
• 19 September 2017 | Intervention by H.E. Jeff Radebe, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, South Africa at UNGA 72
• 9 March 2017 | Intervention by Pali Lehohla, Statistician-General, Statistics South Africa, at UNSC 48
• Video of Pali Lehohla, Director General of Statistics, South Africa, at the 4th MPPN Annual Meeting, Mexico, 2016
• 2 September 2016 | Intervention by H.E. Jeff Radebe, Minister in the Presidency of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, South Africa at UNGA 71
• 7 March 2016 | Intervention by Pali Lehohla, Statistician-General, South Africa at UNSC 47
• 27 September 2015 | Intervention by H.E. Jeff Radebe, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, South Africa at UNGA 70
• 2 March 2015 | Presentation of Pali Lehohla, Statistician-General, South Africa at UNSC 46
• 25 September 2014 | Intervention by Pali Lehohla, Statistician General of South Africa at UNGA 69

Dimensions articles

• The South African COVID-19 Vulnerability Index (based on South Africa COVId-19 Vulnerability Index: Adjusting the SACVI to support an evidence-led approach to the country's vaccine roll out)

Press Releases/News

• 19 May 2024 | South Africa launches South African Multidimensional Poverty Index (SAMPI)
• 10 October 2018 | 6th Annual Meeting of the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) ends successfully Johannesburg, South Africa

• 6 July 2015 | Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2015 launched in South Africa