China vs South Africa: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day
China
94.5%
in 2022
South Africa
94.1%
in 2022
China rank
62nd
South Africa rank
63rd
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 94.5% against 94.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 6 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 62nd and South Africa ranks 63rd of 120 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100.0% | 97.1% | 2.9% | China |
| 2000s | 99.5% | 94.3% | 5.2% | China |
| 2010s | 98.3% | 93.3% | 5.0% | China |
| 2020s | 94.5% | 94.1% | 0.4% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day, China or South Africa?
- China, at 94.5% against 94.1% in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day between China and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day?
- China ranks 62nd and South Africa ranks 63rd 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 Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $40 per day.