Northern America vs South Africa: Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)
Northern America
0.9%
in 2024
South Africa
17.4%
in 2022
Northern America rank
32nd
South Africa rank
29th
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) over time
- Northern America
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.4% against 0.9% in Northern America, a difference of 16.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 19.3 times Northern America's.
Across all 7 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Northern America ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 29th of 41 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Northern America | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.7% | 44.6% | 43.9% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 41.9% | 41.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 27.9% | 26.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 17.4% | 16.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher proportion of population below international poverty line, Northern America or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 17.4% against 0.9% in Northern America as of 2022.
- What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between Northern America and South Africa?
- 16.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Northern America and South Africa?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
- How do Northern America and South Africa rank globally for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Northern America ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 29th of 41 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.