Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day in South Africa
South Africa: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day was 94.1% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day in South Africa, 1993–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 94.1% for poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day in 2022.
The figure is up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day in South Africa peaked at 98.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 92.8%, in 2010.
That places South Africa 63rd out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 97.1% | — |
| 2000 | 98.1% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 94.4% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 94.2% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 92.8% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 93.8% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 94.1% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 97.1% | 97.1% | 97.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 95.5% | 94.2% | 98.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 93.3% | 92.8% | 93.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 94.1% | 94.1% | 94.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 60 El Salvador 95.6% compare
- 61 Jordan 94.8% compare
- 62 China 94.5% compare
- 64 Uzbekistan 93.5%
- 65 Thailand 93.3% compare
- 66 Montenegro 92.3% compare
More poverty & inequality data for South Africa
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,562 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -20.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 28.13 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 28.1% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day in South Africa?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day in South Africa was 94.1% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 98.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 92.8% in 2010.
- How does South Africa rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day?
- South Africa ranks 63rd out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $40 a day rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $40 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $40 per day.