Central America vs South Africa: Proportion of population below international poverty line

Central America
3.5%
in 2024
South Africa
17.4%
in 2022
Central America rank
26th
South Africa rank
29th

Proportion of population below international poverty line over time

  • Central America
  • South Africa
01020304050198120022024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 17.4% against 3.5% in Central America, a difference of 13.9%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 5.0 times Central America's.

Across all 7 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Central America ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 29th of 42 groups.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Central America South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 17.0% 44.6% 27.6% South Africa
2000s 13.5% 41.9% 28.4% South Africa
2010s 8.5% 27.9% 19.4% South Africa
2020s 4.2% 17.4% 13.2% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of population below international poverty line, Central America or South Africa?
South Africa, at 17.4% against 3.5% in Central America as of 2022.
What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between Central America and South Africa?
13.9%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Central America and South Africa?
7 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
How do Central America and South Africa rank globally for proportion of population below international poverty line?
Central America ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 29th of 42 groups.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Central America vs South Africa: Proportion of population below international poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/central-america/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
174 places, 4,024 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed