China vs South Africa: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day
China
89.0%
in 2022
South Africa
90.8%
in 2022
China rank
59th
South Africa rank
56th
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 90.8% against 89.0% in China, a difference of 1.8%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 6 shared years of data; in 1993 it was China ahead.
China ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 56th of 120 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100.0% | 95.1% | 4.9% | China |
| 2000s | 98.9% | 91.4% | 7.4% | China |
| 2010s | 96.4% | 89.9% | 6.5% | China |
| 2020s | 89.0% | 90.8% | 1.8% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day, China or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 90.8% against 89.0% in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day between China and South Africa?
- 1.8%, with South Africa 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 $30 a day?
- China ranks 59th and South Africa ranks 56th 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 $30 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 $30 per day.