Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said Thursday that the country has made significant strides in poverty reduction from 2006 to 2023.

According to the report titled "Poverty Trends in South Africa: An examination of absolute poverty between 2006 and 2023," published by Stats SA, it said that the share of people living below the lower-bound poverty line, which is 1,300 rand (about 77 U.S. dollars) per person per month in 2023 prices, fell to 37.9 percent in 2023, a reduction of 19.6 percentage points since 2006, cutting the number of poor by about 4.1 million.

By province, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North West, and Limpopo continued to register the highest poverty headcounts, collectively accounting for nearly 60 percent of all poor people, while Western Cape and Gauteng recorded the lowest poverty rates.

The report showed that reductions were most pronounced among black African and colored populations, with the poverty rates for black Africans and coloreds falling from 67.3 percent and 42.8 percent in 2006 to 43.8 percent and 24.6 percent in 2023, respectively.

However, it warned that although overall poverty in the country has improved, disparities among population groups remained significant, with black Africans, despite a significant decline in their poverty rate, continuing to have the highest levels among all groups.

As for extreme poverty, measured against the food poverty line of 777 rand (about 46 dollars) per person per month in 2023 prices, the proportion of South Africans living in extreme poverty fell from 27.4 percent in 2006 to 17.6 percent in 2023, a reduction of roughly 2.2 million people.

The agency said that the country is moving in the right direction and that sustained investment in social protection, job creation, education, and economic support measures is yielding tangible results.