Poverty Datum Line rises 17 percent in February

Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Poverty Datum Line (PDL) was up by 17 percent to $5 293 in February this year from $4 492 the previous month, latest data shows.

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat), the PDL measures the basic needs for an average family of five. The spike shows a continued increase in the prices of goods and services on the market.

The volatility of the exchange rate has in the past been blamed for triggering price increases. Zimstat indicated on its Twitter handle that: “The Food Poverty Line for one person in February 2020 was $419 while that for an average household of five persons stood at $2 097.

“The Total Consumption Poverty Line (TCPL) for one person was $1 059 while for an average five person household, it stood at $5 293 for the same period.”

The TCPL, according to Zimstat, is a combination of food and non-food items that a person or an average family require not to be deemed poor.

Meanwhile, the Government hopes that implementation of reforms outlined in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme will help turnaround the economy.

The country’s economy has been sluggish for close to two decades due to the debilitating effects of illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.