Share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa
South Africa: Share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds was 17.44 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
17.44
World rank
26th
of 120 countries
All-time high
47.91
in 2000
All-time low
17.44
in 2022
Years of data
7
1993–2022
Share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa, 1993–2022
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2022, share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa stood at 17.44. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa peaked at 47.91 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 17.44, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 26th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 44.62 | — |
| 2000 | 47.91 | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 40.7 | -15.0% |
| 2008 | 37.01 | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 27.84 | -24.8% |
| 2014 | 27.9 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 17.44 | -37.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.62 | 44.62 | 44.62 | 1 |
| 2000s | 41.87 | 37.01 | 47.91 | 3 |
| 2010s | 27.87 | 27.84 | 27.9 | 2 |
| 2020s | 17.44 | 17.44 | 17.44 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 23 Côte d'Ivoire 20.83 compare
- 24 Syrian Arab Republic 17.96 compare
- 25 Senegal 17.89 compare
- 27 Honduras 15.72 compare
- 28 Guinea 11.65 compare
- 29 Philippines 11.53 compare
More poverty & inequality data for South Africa
- Data deprivation poverty surveys per decade 1 (2025)
- Fertility rate vs the share living in extreme poverty 2.22 (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty 4,562 (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 revenues vs income inequality 28.13 (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 0.8444 % change on previous year (2022)
- Gender inequality index from the human development report 0.388 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa?
- Share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds in South Africa was 17.44 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 47.91 in 2000.
- What is the lowest share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.44 in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share in poverty relative to different poverty thresholds. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).