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Mozambican Civil Society Within: Evaluation, Challenges, Opportunities and Action
socio-economic inequality; 7) widespread adult illiteracy and 8) lack of information technology
and communication infrastructure. The score for this indicator thus takes into account the
number of conditions observed and their severity.
Some relevant information on this topic is summarised below:
Widespread poverty (over 40% of the population living on less than $2 a day): This condition
applies to Mozambique that is still classified among the dozen poorest countries in the world -
in 168 th place out of 177 countries (UNDP, 2006) and it is the least developed country in southern
Africa. The most recent study on absolute poverty showed that poverty levels had fallen from
67% in 1997 to 53% in 2003, but about 74% of Mozambicans continue to live on less than two
dollars a day.
Civil war (armed conflicts in the last five years): This condition does not apply to Mozambique
as the civil war ended in 1992.
Serious ethnic and/or religious conflicts: This condition does not apply to the country
Serious economic crisis (for example, external debt higher than GDP): This condition applies
in part. The external debt represents $US 65 for every Mozambican and 45% of Mozambique’s
GDP. Under these circumstances the condition would not apply. However, there is strong
concern about evidence showing a tendency for the foreign debt to increase cyclically, and that
it is being controlled more through debt forgiveness than through growing economic
independence. Moreover, with rising migration to urban areas that is not accompanied by a
proportional growth in jobs, social and economic tension is increasing in urban centres such as
Maputo city. In addition, at this level serious economic crisis appears to be latent, but with a
tendency to get worse.
Serious social crisis (in the last two years): Despite relative social stability, high levels of
poverty, rising malnutrition or food insecurity in some parts of the country, the impact of various
epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, when taken together can be considered evidence of serious
social crisis.
Serious socio-economic inequality (Gini coefficient > 0.4): In the last study on poverty by INE
in 2003, the estimate of the Gini coefficient was over 0.4. UNDP recently estimated the Gini
coefficient to be 0.573.
Widespread illiteracy (over 40 percent): The estimate of INE and UNDP is an illiteracy rate of
52.8%.
Lack of Information Technology Infrastructure (i.e. less than five Internet services for 10,000
inhabitants): This condition applies to Mozambique, that in 2007 had less than two hundred
thousand people with access to the Internet, corresponding to less than one user per 100
inhabitants. (http://www.internetworldstats.com).
Civil Society Index, Mozambique 2007
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