南非发布贫困趋势报告：贫困率显著下降 但群体与区域差异仍存

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the report indicates a significant decline in poverty rates in South Africa from 2006 to 2023, with the percentage of people living below the "lower poverty line" decreasing from 57.5% to 37.9%, representing a reduction of 19.6 percentage points and a total decrease of approximately 4.1 million people [1] - The extreme poverty situation has also improved, with the poverty rate based on the "food poverty line" dropping from 27.4% in 2006 to 17.6% in 2023, and the number of people living in food poverty decreasing from 13 million to 10.8 million [1] Group 2 - Children aged 0-17 remain the most affected group, with a poverty rate of 49.1% in 2023, although this is a decrease of 20.3 percentage points from 69.4% in 2006; this age group constitutes 43.1% of the total poor population [2] - In contrast, the elderly population (65 years and older) has seen the most significant improvement, with a poverty rate dropping from 55.3% in 2006 to 24.7% in 2023, a decline of 30.6 percentage points, and they represent only 4.2% of the poor [2] - Rural poverty remains a significant issue, with rural poverty rates approximately double those of urban areas; despite declines in both urban and rural poverty rates, rural poverty levels continue to be higher [2] Group 3 - The South African government attributes the reduction in poverty to social security policies, particularly income support for the unemployed, which is a key intervention [3] - However, challenges persist, including a high unemployment rate exceeding 30%, which hampers poverty reduction efforts and indicates that the country is still far from achieving the goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 [3] - The South African Human Rights Commission has highlighted that despite the country's capacity to produce enough food, millions still face hunger, prompting a national inquiry into food production issues [3]