Indonesia vs South Africa: Distribution of population between different poverty lines
Indonesia
2.47 million people
in 2025
South Africa
3.70 million people
in 2022
Indonesia rank
38th
South Africa rank
35th
Distribution of population between different poverty lines over time
- Indonesia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 3.70 million people against 2.47 million people in Indonesia, a difference of 1.23 million people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.5 times Indonesia's.
Across all 7 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Indonesia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 35th of 120 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Indonesia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29,968 people | 1.26 million people | 1.23 million people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 108,346 people | 2.23 million people | 2.12 million people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 742,782 people | 3.64 million people | 2.90 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.75 million people | 3.70 million people | 1.94 million people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher distribution of population between different poverty lines, Indonesia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 3.70 million people against 2.47 million people in Indonesia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in distribution of population between different poverty lines between Indonesia and South Africa?
- 1.23 million people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Indonesia and South Africa?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
- How do Indonesia and South Africa rank globally for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Indonesia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 35th of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $40 per day.