The impact of educational attainment on household poverty in South Africa

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between the educational attainment of the household head and household poverty in South Africa. The results indicate a clear negative relationship between education and poverty. Households in which the head has a low level of education are more likely to be poor compared to a household where the head has a higher level of education. Literacy of the household head is also inversely related to household poverty. Rural and black households are the most vulnerable, with distinct differences between the province of residence. Despite large resource allocation towards education, educational outcomes have not improved. This raises questions concerning the lack of association between resource allocation and educational outcomes