Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke presented the findings of Statistics South Africa's General Household Survey 2025 in Cape Town on Tuesday, revealing that social grants continue to serve as a vital safety net for millions of households amid persistent poverty, unemployment and economic hardship.
Image: File
More than half of South African households received at least one social grant in 2025, nearly half of all children lived with their mothers only, and almost three-fifths of 24-year-olds were not in employment, education or training, according to Statistics South Africa's General Household Survey released in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Presenting the findings, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said South Africa's household structures continued to reflect the country's socio-economic realities.
"Nuclear and extended households reflect the country's complex social and economic history, as well as the persistent challenges related to poverty and unemployment," Maluleke said.
The survey found that more than a quarter (26.6%) of households consisted of a single person, while 38.5% were double-generation households comprising parents and children. A further 14% were triple-generation households where three or more generations lived under the same roof.
The findings come as social grants continue to play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable households across the country. According to the survey, 50.6% of households had at least one member receiving a social grant in 2025, while 39.5% of individuals benefited directly from grants, a significant increase from 12.8% recorded in 2003.
Stats SA described social grants as a "vital safety net, particularly in the poorest provinces", underscoring their importance for millions of South Africans facing economic hardship.
Despite salaries and wages remaining the primary source of household income nationally at 54.3%, nearly one in four households (23.4%) relied mainly on grants to survive. Dependence on grants was highest in the Eastern Cape, where 39.4% of households identified them as their main source of income, followed by the Northern Cape (34.8%) and Limpopo (32.5%).
The survey also highlighted the changing nature of family life in South Africa. Nationally, 42.6% of households were headed by women, a figure that rose to 47.6% in rural areas. KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest proportion of female-headed households at 48.4%, followed by the Eastern Cape at 48.1%.
Children were particularly affected by these household arrangements. Nearly half (45.9%) lived only with their mothers, while fewer than a third (31.4%) lived with both parents. Another 18.5% lived with neither parent.
In the Eastern Cape, 34% of children were living with neither parent the highest proportion recorded nationally.
While youth-headed households have declined over the past two decades, young South Africans continue to face significant economic pressures. The proportion of households headed by people aged 15 to 34 fell from 28.4% in 2002 to 23.4% in 2025, although Gauteng still recorded the highest share of youth-headed households.
The survey further found that 58.1% of 24-year-olds were not in employment, education or training in 2025, highlighting ongoing concerns about youth exclusion from both the labour market and education system.
While the survey points to gains in areas such as education and access to basic services, its findings suggest that poverty and unemployment remain deeply embedded realities for millions of South Africans.