FOUR IN 10 SOLOMON ISLANDERS LIVE IN POVERTY, NEW REPORT REVEALS

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Four in every 10 Solomon Islanders are living below the national poverty line, with rural communities and Malaita Province bearing the greatest burden of poverty, according to the latest national poverty assessment.

The Solomon Islands National Statistics Office 2024/25 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) estimates the national poverty rate at 40.4 percent, meaning a significant proportion of the population cannot afford to meet their minimum food and essential non-food needs.

The report estimates that approximately 322,500 people across Solomon Islands are living in poverty, highlighting the scale of economic hardship facing households throughout the country.

Poverty is particularly widespread in rural communities, where one in every two residents lives below the poverty line, compared with approximately one in six people in urban areas.

The report also identifies significant differences between provinces, with Honiara, Guadalcanal and Rennell-Bellona recording the lowest poverty rates.

HOW POVERTY IS MEASURED

The report uses a new national poverty line developed through the Cost of Basic Needs methodology, an approach widely used internationally and recommended by the Pacific Statistics Methods Board (PSMB).

The methodology estimates the minimum cost of obtaining basic food requirements and essential non-food needs to determine whether individuals and households have sufficient resources to meet their basic living requirements.

Under the new poverty measurement, the annual food poverty line is estimated at SBD11,423 per adult equivalent, while the national absolute poverty line is set at SBD15,455 per adult equivalent.

These figures provide the benchmark for assessing the proportion of the population unable to afford minimum food and essential non-food requirements.

MALAITA HAS HIGHEST POVERTY DEPTH AND SEVERITY

Malaita Province records the highest depth and severity of poverty in the country.

Its poverty gap index stands at 24.0, while its poverty severity index is 12.7, indicating that many people in the province are not only living in poverty but are also experiencing deeper levels of deprivation.

The report further shows that Malaita accounts for more than one-third of all people living in poverty nationwide.

Western and Temotu provinces follow, with the three provinces together accounting for more than two-thirds of Solomon Islands’ total poor population.

The concentration of poverty in these provinces makes them particularly important in national efforts to reduce poverty and improve living conditions.

FOOD POVERTY AFFECTS ONE IN FOUR

Beyond general poverty, the report estimates that 25.2 percent of the population is experiencing food poverty.

This means approximately one in four Solomon Islanders does not have sufficient resources to obtain the minimum daily caloric requirements.

The report also measures the depth and severity of poverty, revealing that deprivation is significantly worse in rural areas.

The national poverty gap index is 14.3, while the poverty severity index stands at 6.9. In rural areas, these figures rise to 18.1 and 8.9 respectively, compared with 4.4 and 1.7 in urban areas.

These findings indicate that people experiencing poverty in rural communities generally face more severe economic hardship than their urban counterparts.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AMONG THE POOR

The report also highlights the impact of poverty on children and young people.

Almost half of all people living in poverty are below the age of 20, raising concerns about the long-term implications for education, nutrition, healthcare and the country’s future human development.

While the large proportion of young people among the poor population largely reflects Solomon Islands’ youthful population structure, the report warns that poverty can limit children’s opportunities to access essential services and develop their full potential.

Poverty is also relatively evenly distributed between males and females.

The findings are contained in a poverty report based on the 2024/25 Household Income and Expenditure Survey, which examines both monetary and non-monetary dimensions of living conditions in Solomon Islands.

The assessment covers household consumption, education, housing conditions, access to basic services and ownership of household assets.

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