The provincial indices of multiple deprivation for South Africa 2001

Since the beginning of the post-apartheid era, a key objective of the South African government has been the improvement of the quality of life of all South Africans and the reduction of poverty and social inequality. The South African constitution requires the Parliament to ensure that financial resources are distributed equitably among provincial and sub-provincial governments, based partly on levels of poverty and disadvantage (Alderman et al., 2003). It is therefore critical that robust measures are developed to quantify the nature and extent of social deprivation at sub-national level and thereby accurately identify the areas of greatest need (i.e. the most deprived areas).