Each Mozambican family spent an average of 8661 meticals (123.5 euros) per month in 2022, an increase of 6.8% compared to 2020, according to data from the Family Budget Survey (IOF).
According to data from the study by the National Statistics Institute (INE), released this Wednesday (9), this performance was mainly influenced by households living in rural areas, which went from an average monthly expenditure of 5741 meticals in 2019-20 to 6680 meticals in 2022.
The average monthly expenditure for each household living in the urban area remained practically unchanged at just over 12,500 meticals.
In national terms, Cabo Delgado province, affected in the last five years by terrorist attacks that caused more than a million displaced people, had the lowest average monthly expenditure per household, equivalent to 5213 meticals, while those in the provinces of Maputo, Manica, Sofala, as well as the capital, Maputo, spent “above the national average”.
Despite leading the way, the average monthly expenditure of each household in Maputo city continues to fall, according to the IOF indicator, from 25 912 meticals in 2015 to 19 664 meticais in 2020 and 17 076 meticals last year.
In terms of the national average, the expenditure that had the greatest weight in each Mozambican family was related to food and non-alcoholic beverages, with 3,358 meticais per month, followed by housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, with 1,489 meticais per month, and transport, with 980 meticals.
At national level, the data also show that, in general, the structure of income remained between 2020 and 2022, with the main source of household income being their salaries (36.4%), followed by the value of self-consumption (25.1%) and sales of products produced by the family (20.4%).
After disaggregating income by area of residence, the results of the IOF 2022 “show that the gap between the income of the urban and rural population remained over the two periods”, with the income of households living in the urban area valued at 13 771 meticais, almost double the income of those living in the rural area, of 7440 meticais, although both with “a considerable increase, compared to the values calculated” in 2020.
