The level of absolute poverty is 69.4%, which indicates that over two thirds of the Mozambican population are living below the poverty line. There are higher levels of poverty in the rural areas (71/2%), where 80% of the population is to be found, than in the urban areas (62%).

Although poverty has a variety of causes and expression, depending on whether it is urban, suburban or rural poverty, the FDC concentrates on rural poverty, and focuses its action on the following expressions (faces of poverty):

  Hunger (food insecurity)
  Lack of decent housing
  Endemic diseases
  Lack of clothing
  Ignorance: Illiteracy and lack of access to information
  Lack of access to clean drinking water

It is necessary to stress that material poverty is not necessarily the sole criterion for assessing this phenomenon. Attention should also be paid to the question of moral and spiritual poverty which has contributed greatly to the prevalence of attitudes and behavior which do not help advance the efforts to promote improved living conditions for the neediest population groups.