Teenage pregnancy in South Africa: Do poverty and inequality play significant roles?

This study examined the nexus between poverty, inequality, and teenage pregnancy in South Africa from 2017 to 2023. This study used socioeconomic indicators from the World Bank and United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) to determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in South Africa. The results showed that human development index has a clear inverse relationship with adolescent fertility underscoring the importance of education and healthcare in reducing teenage pregnancy in the country. Similarly, Gross National Income, GNI per capita demonstrated an inverse relationship with teenage pregnancy. This is an indication that high poverty level fuels a rise in the incidence of the teenage pregnancy in South Africa. However, the Gini coefficient reflects a mixed relationship which suggests a complex association between income inequality and adolescent fertility rate. Though the study points towards a positive association in some context, the specific trends suggest that teenage pregnancy in South Africa might be influenced by multiple factors beyond income inequality. Therefore, we recommend that South African policymakers should prioritize investment in human capital development in order to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy.