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The South African Index of Multiple Deprivation for Children: Census 2001

Literature › Works

Helen Barnes; Gemma Wright; Michael Noble; Andrew Dawes (2007). The South African Index of Multiple Deprivation for Children: Census 2001. HSRC Press.
Type report
Scope Post-1994 South African economy
Method descriptive quantitative
Period studied 2001–2001
Regions South Africa, Eastern Cape (former Transkei and Ciskei), KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Western Cape, Gauteng
Themes inequality poverty unemployment, methods data sources, education human capital, demography urbanisation, bantustans removals influx
Citation key barnes2007

Argument

The report builds a child-focused index of multiple deprivation for South Africa's municipalities from the 10% sample of the 2001 Census. It combines five domains (income and material, employment, education, living environment, adequate care) into an index with equal weights after rank standardisation and exponential transformation. The index shows child deprivation concentrated in the Eastern Cape (especially the former Transkei), KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, and least severe in the Western Cape and Gauteng. The report is a methods and measurement contribution. It argues that children are lost in household-level data and that small-area, multidimensional measures are needed to target policy. It does not discuss apartheid's causes or economics.

Evidence and method

10% sample of the 2001 Census (Stats SA), with the 100% Census used for the earlier ward-level PIMD. Household income thresholds are derived from the IES 2000 and CPI-adjusted. Context comes from earlier child poverty studies (PSLSD 1993, OHS, IES) and UK deprivation index methodology.

Findings

  • Child deprivation is highest in Eastern Cape municipalities; the ten most deprived municipalities are nine Eastern Cape plus Msinga (KwaZulu-Natal). (p. 23)

    In the Eastern Cape, municipalities in the former Transkei fall into the bottom two quintiles, that is the most deprived 40% (shaded blue on the map) in terms of child deprivation.

  • The Western Cape and Gauteng are overwhelmingly in the least deprived quintile. (p. 23)

    The majority of municipalities in both the Western Cape (24 of 25) and Gauteng (10 of 12) are in the top quintile, that is the least deprived 20%

  • A very large majority of children experience income and material deprivation as defined. (p. 27)

    Overall, 81% of children in South Africa experience income and material deprivation, as defined in this domain.

  • Half of children live in workless households. (p. 28)

    Overall, 50% of children in South Africa experience ‘employment deprivation’, as defined in this domain.

  • Education deprivation: many children are in the wrong grade and some are out of school. (p. 29)

    Overall, 24% of children in South Africa are in the wrong grade for their age, and 6% are not in school, as defined in this domain.

  • Living environment deprivation is widespread. (p. 30)

    Overall, 77% of children in South Africa experience living environment deprivation, as defined in this domain.

  • One in four children is at risk of inadequate care (absent parents or child-headed households). (p. 31)

    Overall, 25% of children in South Africa experience ‘adequate care deprivation’, as defined in this domain.

  • Income deprivation tracks the overall index most closely; education correlates least. (p. 26)

    The Income Deprivation Domain has the highest correlation with the overall SAIMDC (0.96) and correlates highly with the Living Environment Deprivation Domain (0.92)

  • The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have the widest spread of child deprivation, while Gauteng and the Western Cape have the narrowest. (p. 24)

    The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have the greatest range of child deprivation. Gauteng and the Western Cape have the smallest range of child deprivation