Costa Rica vs South Africa: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median
Costa Rica
20.0%
in 2025
South Africa
20.4%
in 2022
Costa Rica rank
10th
South Africa rank
9th
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 20.4% against 20.0% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 7 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 10th and South Africa ranks 9th of 120 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.1% | 25.4% | 5.3% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 19.6% | 22.9% | 3.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 19.0% | 22.5% | 3.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 20.4% | 1.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 20.4% against 20.0% in Costa Rica as of 2022.
- What is the difference in relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 0.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Costa Rica ranks 10th and South Africa ranks 9th 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median. 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 50% of the median.