South Africa vs United States of America: Proportion of population below international poverty line
South Africa
17.4%
in 2022
United States of America
1.1%
in 2024
South Africa rank
29th
United States of America rank
32nd
Proportion of population below international poverty line over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.4% against 1.1% in United States of America, a difference of 16.3%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 15.8 times United States of America's.
Across all 7 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 29th and United States of America ranks 32nd of 132 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.6% | 0.6% | 44.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 41.9% | 1.0% | 40.9% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 27.9% | 1.2% | 26.7% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 1.4% | 16.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher proportion of population below international poverty line, South Africa or United States of America?
- South Africa, at 17.4% against 1.1% in United States of America as of 2022.
- What is the difference in proportion of population below international poverty line between South Africa and United States of America?
- 16.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- South Africa ranks 29th and United States of America ranks 32nd of 132 countries.
- 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.