Colombia vs South Africa: Distribution of population between different poverty lines

Colombia
29.06 million people
in 2024
South Africa
21.40 million people
in 2022
Colombia rank
26th
South Africa rank
29th

Distribution of population between different poverty lines over time

  • Colombia
  • South Africa
10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M30.0M199220082024

How they compare

Colombia currently reports 29.06 million people against 21.40 million people in South Africa, a difference of 7.66 million people.

That makes Colombia's figure about 1.4 times South Africa's.

Across all 6 years both countries report, Colombia has been ahead every year.

Colombia ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 29th of 120 countries.

Colombia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Colombia South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 14.03 million people 10.69 million people 3.35 million people Colombia
2010s 21.10 million people 16.08 million people 5.02 million people Colombia
2020s 26.66 million people 21.40 million people 5.25 million people Colombia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher distribution of population between different poverty lines, Colombia or South Africa?
Colombia, at 29.06 million people against 21.40 million people in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in distribution of population between different poverty lines between Colombia and South Africa?
7.66 million people, with Colombia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and South Africa?
6 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2022.
How do Colombia and South Africa rank globally for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
Colombia ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 29th 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.

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Colombia vs South Africa: Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/distribution-of-population-poverty-thresholds/colombia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Distribution of population between different poverty lines
Unit
people
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.