Ninety-eight percent of people in the lowest living standards measure (LSM 1) in SA in 2010 were black, a new study has shown.

This was a slight decrease from 99.7percent in 2001, according to the SA Institute of Race Relations’ latest survey.

Of people in the highest category, LSM 10, blacks comprised 19 percent of the total – up from 3 percent in 2001.

Sixty five percent of adults in LSM 10 in 2010 were white, compared with 87 percent in 2001.

“The data shows that the racial differences have narrowed slightly, with more representation of Africans in the top LSM groups than 10 years ago, demonstrating a growing African middle class,” the institute’s Lucy Holborn said.

But this was considered an under-representation because blacks made up 76 percent of the adult population.

“There has been a shift to the higher LSMs but it is still racially skewed,” she said.

Living standards measures are a marketing tool developed by the SA Advertising Research Foundation. – Sapa