Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age was 15.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa stood at 15.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa peaked at 29.5% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2018.
That places Southern Africa 9th out of 33 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29.1% | — |
| 2001 | 29.5% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 29.2% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 29.3% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 27.5% | -6.3% |
| 2005 | 25.4% | -7.4% |
| 2006 | 18.5% | -27.4% |
| 2007 | 17.7% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 16.5% | -7.2% |
| 2009 | 16.3% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 15.8% | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 15.4% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 15.5% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 15.4% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 15.2% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 15.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 16.1% | +6.8% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | -3.5% |
| 2022 | 15.3% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 15.3% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 15.3% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 15.3% | +0.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -27.4% | 25.4% | 18.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.9% | 16.3% | 29.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 15.0% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.5% | 15.3% | 16.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
More poverty & inequality data for Southern Africa
Frequently asked questions
- What is employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa?
- Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age in Southern Africa was 15.3% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 29.5% in 2001.
- What is the lowest employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2018.
- How does Southern Africa rank for employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age?
- Southern Africa ranks 9th out of 33 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).