Portugal vs South Africa: Distribution of population between different poverty lines
Portugal
3.89 million people
in 2023
South Africa
3.70 million people
in 2022
Portugal rank
34th
South Africa rank
35th
Distribution of population between different poverty lines over time
- Portugal
- South Africa
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 3.89 million people against 3.70 million people in South Africa, a difference of 192,460 people.
That makes Portugal's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Portugal ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 35th of 120 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.60 million people | 2.89 million people | 292,440 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.59 million people | 3.64 million people | 1.06 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 3.63 million people | 3.70 million people | 71,230 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, Portugal or South Africa?
- Portugal, at 3.89 million people against 3.70 million people in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in distribution of population between different poverty lines between Portugal and South Africa?
- 192,460 people, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and South Africa?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2022.
- How do Portugal and South Africa rank globally for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- Portugal ranks 34th 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.