Food Poverty Line Hits ZWG$861.14 in January

Oscar J. Jeke

Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency has reported that the Food Poverty Line for January 2025 stood at ZWG$861.14 per person, representing the minimum amount required to meet basic daily nutritional needs.

The FPL reflects the cost of a standard food basket that provides 2,100 calories per person per day. This latest figure highlights the rising cost of essential food items amid Zimbabwe’s ongoing economic challenges.

“The Food Poverty Line for one person in January 2025 was ZWG 861.14. This means that the minimum food basket cost that much per person during the month,” ZIMSTAT stated in its report.

In addition to the FPL, ZIMSTAT reported that the Total Consumption Poverty Line for January 2025 stood at ZWG$1,255.78 per person, covering both food and essential non-food items. Any individual earning below this threshold is classified as poor.

“The Total Consumption Poverty Line for one person was ZWG$1,255.78 in January 2025. This means that an individual required that amount to afford both food and non-food essentials without being considered poor,” the report added.

These figures are in Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG), the currency introduced as part of monetary reforms that replaced the Zimbabwean dollar in late 2024. In January 2024, before the redenomination, the FPL stood at ZWL$155,360.39 per person, while the TCPL was ZWL$198,981.37 per person.

While a direct comparison between the old and new figures may not fully capture cost changes due to inflation adjustments and currency reforms, ZIMSTAT clarified that the poverty lines are calculated using the lower-bound poverty line method, based on data from the 2017 PICES survey. The agency also noted that poverty thresholds vary across provinces due to differences in average prices.