Poverty and Vulnerability in Urban Angola

Though rural Angola has higher rates of poverty, a third of Angolans living in poverty and 40 percent of those vulnerable to falling into poverty are in urban areas. Yet, Angola's poverty alleviation strategy – particularly its Kwenda cash transfer program introduced in 2020 -targets only rural areas. High urbanization rates and recent shocks that disproportionately affect urban dwellers, such as food price hikes and fuel subsidy reform, mean that tackling urban poverty and vulnerability is becoming increasingly urgent in Angola. This note provides insights into the characteristics of the urban poor in Angola and identifies policy entry points relevant for targeting and tackling poverty and vulnerability in urban Angola