This report quantifies child and orphan poverty in the Kingdom of Swaziland during 2001 and 2010. Poverty is understood as consumption (monetary) poverty and not as multidimensional deprivation. Child and orphan poverty indicators are based on the Swaziland Household Income and Expenditures Survey (SHIES). Additional indicators for teen-aged men and women are calculated from the Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey (MICS). Secondary literature is also addressed. Child poverty and teen-age indicators have not been previously undertaken. Findings about orphan poverty from the SHIES are consistent with previous results from the MICS.
The report considers social protection policy in Swaziland and recommends the adoption of a child benefit to alleviate child poverty. Targeting options are explored and a proxy means test (PMT) for child poverty is estimated. Areas for future research, including the potential integration of the SHIES and MICS data are explored.
