Extreme poverty rate in South Africa
17.4% of people in South Africa lived on less than $3.00 a day in 2022. The value for 2022 is the lowest in the series, which starts in 1993.
South Africa, 2022
17.4%
Change from 2014
−10.5percentage points
World, 2022
10.9%
Median of G20 countries, 2022
1.0%
Extreme poverty rate in South Africa over time
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South Africa
World
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of population. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | 10.1% |
| 2023 | – | 10.5% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | 10.9% |
| 2021 | – | 11.3% |
| 2020 | – | 11.4% |
| 2018 | – | 11.1% |
| 2017 | – | 11.8% |
| 2016 | – | 12.6% |
| 2015 | – | 13.4% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | 14.5% |
| 2013 | – | 15.5% |
| 2012 | – | 17.8% |
| 2011 | – | 19.1% |
| 2010 | 27.8% | 21.0% |
| 2009 | – | 23.1% |
| 2008 | 37.0% | 24.1% |
| 2007 | – | 25.3% |
| 2006 | – | 27.0% |
| 2005 | 40.7% | 28.3% |
| 2004 | – | 30.3% |
| 2003 | – | 32.2% |
| 2002 | – | 33.7% |
| 2001 | – | 35.3% |
A dash means no value was published for that period.
In short
- The previous available figure was 27.9% in 2014, a change of −10.5 percentage points.
- Since 1993, when it was 44.6%, the figure has changed by −27.2 percentage points.
- The figure for the world in 2022 was 10.9%.
More for South Africa
All statistics for South Africa
Poverty rate at national poverty lines
37.9%
2022 · World Bank
Prevalence of undernourishment
11.2%
2024 · World Bank
Gini index
54.1 (0 to 100)
2022 · World Bank
Income share held by the richest 10%
42.1%
2022 · World Bank
Poverty rate at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP)
30.2%
2022 · World Bank
Poverty rate at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP)
59.6%
2022 · World Bank