Brazil vs South Africa: Share of population living in extreme poverty
Brazil
7.0%
in 2018
South Africa
21.0%
in 2018
Brazil rank
6th
South Africa rank
3rd
Share of population living in extreme poverty over time
- Brazil
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 21.0% against 7.0% in Brazil, a difference of 14.0%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 3.0 times Brazil's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 21 shared years of data; in 1820 it was Brazil ahead.
Brazil ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 3rd of 25 countries.
Across the 20 decades both report, Brazil averaged higher in 16 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 91.0% | 86.0% | 5.0% | Brazil |
| 1830s | 92.0% | 82.0% | 10.0% | Brazil |
| 1840s | 92.0% | 86.0% | 6.0% | Brazil |
| 1850s | 93.0% | 90.0% | 3.0% | Brazil |
| 1860s | 90.0% | 83.0% | 7.0% | Brazil |
| 1870s | 87.0% | 83.0% | 4.0% | Brazil |
| 1880s | 89.0% | 54.0% | 35.0% | Brazil |
| 1890s | 88.0% | 67.0% | 21.0% | Brazil |
| 1900s | 95.0% | 77.0% | 18.0% | Brazil |
| 1910s | 90.0% | 69.0% | 21.0% | Brazil |
| 1920s | 76.0% | 70.0% | 6.0% | Brazil |
| 1930s | 77.0% | 68.0% | 9.0% | Brazil |
| 1940s | 89.0% | 52.0% | 37.0% | Brazil |
| 1950s | 72.0% | 40.0% | 32.0% | Brazil |
| 1960s | 73.0% | 38.0% | 35.0% | Brazil |
| 1970s | 76.0% | 24.0% | 52.0% | Brazil |
| 1980s | 11.0% | 15.0% | 4.0% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 23.0% | 29.0% | 6.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 12.0% | 28.0% | 16.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 19.5% | 12.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in extreme poverty, Brazil or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 21.0% against 7.0% in Brazil as of 2018.
- What is the difference in share of population living in extreme poverty between Brazil and South Africa?
- 14.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 1820 to 2018.
- How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for share of population living in extreme poverty?
- Brazil ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 3rd of 25 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in extreme poverty. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the population unable to meet basic needs (including minimal nutrition and adequately heated shelter) according to prices of locally-available goods and services at the time..