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the rich & poor

A 2009 study by UCT economics professor Horaan Bhorat indicates that, of all countries in the world, South Africa has the widest gap between the rich and the poor, with a Gini coefficient of 0.679.1 This is clearly reflected by the considerable variation in income analysed by race, across the GCR. The black population’s household income peaks at the
R1 600-R3 200 per month range (25%), with the highest percentage of the white population‘s households (23%), earning R12 800-R25 600 per month.

The Indian and coloured households have a much wider base with coloured households (17%) peaking at the R3 200-R6 400 per month, and again at the R12 800-R25 600 per month ranges (16%). Indian households peak across the R6 400-R25 600 per month range with a small peak again at the R102 400-R204 800 per month range.

(Amounts given above are after tax deduction.)

percentage of households in each population group in monthly household income bands

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GCRO (2009) ‘Quality of Life’ survey
1 Business report (28 Sep 2009) 'South Africa has widest gap between rich and poor', accessed from http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5181018