A paltry 27 percent of Zimbabweans are surviving on salaries while the majority are earning a living from other sources of income, the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) has reported.

According to the document entitled, “Poverty, Income, Consumption and Expenditure Survey” only a third of Zimbabweans are surviving on salaries. “Overall, it is observed that 26.6 percent of the adults state that salaries and wages are their main source of income. Slightly over half of the adults sale their own agricultural produce as their main source of income,” the report said.

About 11 percent and 8.9 percent state gifts, transfers and own business as their respectively as their main source of income. In Harare and Bulawayo provinces, 71.3 percent and 57.9 percent respectively of the adults mentioned salaries and wages as their main source of income. Sale of agricultural own produce as main source of income ranges from 43.6 percent in Matabeleland South province to about 75 percent in Mashonaland Central province.

The study observes that in rural areas, 67 percent of households have sale of agricultural produce as their main source of income while in urban areas the main source of income is salaries and wages. The average annual gross primary income in Zimbabwe is $3 777 which ranges from $ 1 795 in the 20-24 years age group to $6 746 in the 55 – 59 years age group.

“On average, males have higher primary income than females in most occupations, except in occupations such as managers, technicians and others. Managers have the highest gross incomes followed by professionals,” the report said. Persons with lowest average annual gross primary income are skilled agriculture, forestry and fishing workers.