ZIMSTATS’ food poverty line queried
Soaring costs of basic food necessities like mealie meal, cooking oil and bread render the current food poverty line (FPL) set by ZimStats grossly unrealistic, analysts said.
The economic analysts have criticised the January food poverty line from ZimStats, arguing that it fails to reflect on the experience of millions struggling to afford basic meals.
They said the latest FPL “is woefully inadequate in the face of skyrocketing food prices.”
ZimStats’ FPL for January 2024 revealed that an individual needed to spend $155,360.39 per month to afford a daily minimum energy intake of 2 100 calories.
While the average official exchange rate for January 2024 placed the monthly FPL at around US$20, the reality for many Zimbabweans paints a starkly different picture.
The prevalence of a thriving black-market economy significantly inflates the cost of basic food necessities, pushing the true cost of survival far beyond official figures.
Using the black-market rate, which most Zimbabweans rely on for transactions, the daily food poverty line skyrockets to a staggering US$12, or just US40 c per day.
This translates to a nearly impossible struggle for millions to afford basic food items.
Compounding the food insecurity crisis, the cost of basic non-food items like transport, rent and medication adds another layer of hardship to the poverty line.
Official rates place this monthly figure at US$42,621, equivalent to US$5,40 and US$3,50 monthly when calculated using the official and parallel exchange rate respectively.
Official figures placed the monthly poverty line at around US$25 per person for January.
But the harsh reality on the ground was far bleaker. Using the widely used black market rate, the daily cost of staying out of extreme poverty stood at US0,51 in January.
While Zimbabwe’s official poverty line suggests a lower cost of basic needs, the World Bank’s benchmark of US$2,15 per person per day underscores the potential underestimation of poverty, particularly when considering the widely used black market rate.
“These figures are woefully inadequate in reflecting the harsh realities on the ground,” said one analyst. “They paint a misleading picture that suggests many Zimbabweans are not living in abject poverty, when the situation on the ground screams otherwise.
“This gross underestimation of living costs obscures the widespread suffering of millions and hinders the implementation of effective poverty alleviation measures.
“I can firmly say that these figures bear no resemblance to the daily struggles of ordinary Zimbabweans.
“They create a false narrative that ignores the immense hardship faced by families.”-ebusinessweekly
