Cross-sectional data on the factors associated with income diversification among agricultural households in the Katangese Copperbelt

The data show that income diversification is widespread but differs between the two sites: 80.7% of households in Lubumbashi reported multiple income-generating activities, compared with 60.0% in Kolwezi. Vegetable cultivation, small trade, artisanal mining, and brickmaking were the principal activity sectors. Logistic regression indicates that income diversification is significantly associated with household income instability, financial assistance to people outside the household, perceived increases in household expenses, fear of falling into poverty, and contributions by household members to household income.

These findings suggest that diversification functions primarily as a livelihood adaptation strategy under economic pressure rather than solely as an opportunity-driven choice. The data also reveal substantial differences in perceived household achievements between the two cities, while only a small proportion of respondents (14.3%) reported improvements in their living conditions. However, because the dataset is cross-sectional and relies partly on self-reported information, the results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects.