Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Africa
South Africa: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day was 90.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 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
In 2022, poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Africa stood at 90.8%.
That represents a change of up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Africa peaked at 96.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 89.4%, in 2010.
South Africa ranks 56th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 95.1% | — |
| 2000 | 96.5% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 91.7% | -5.0% |
| 2008 | 91.2% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 89.4% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 90.5% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 90.8% | +0.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 90.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 90.5%, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 90.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 99.7%, 91% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 95.1% | 95.1% | 95.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 93.1% | 91.2% | 96.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 89.9% | 89.4% | 90.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 90.8% | 90.8% | 90.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More poverty & inequality data for South Africa
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ 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 $30 a day in South Africa?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Africa was 90.8% 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 $30 a day recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 96.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.4% in 2010.
- How does South Africa rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day?
- South Africa ranks 56th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 $30 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $30 per day.