Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social was 23.4% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
23.4%
Change on year
down 13.7%
World rank
3rd
of 38 countries
All-time high
31.4%
in 2005
All-time low
19.5%
in 2010
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social in South Africa, 2005–2021

01020302005201320212005: 31.42010: 19.52014: 242016: 28.62018: 24.72019: 26.12020: 27.12021: 23.4

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social in South Africa stood at 23.4%.

The figure is down 13.7% on the previous year and up 20.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social in South Africa peaked at 31.4% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 19.5%, in 2010.

South Africa ranks 3rd of 38 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social Protection and Labor in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 31.4%
2010 19.5% -37.9%
2014 24.0% +23.2%
2016 28.6% +19.2%
2018 24.7% -13.6%
2019 26.1% +5.9%
2020 27.1% +3.8%
2021 23.4% -13.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 23.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.9%, 27.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 31.4% 31.4% 31.4% 1
2010s 24.6% 19.5% 28.6% 5
2020s 25.3% 23.4% 27.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Malawi 75.0% compare
  2. 2 Honduras 24.0% compare
  3. 4 Colombia 7.8% compare
  4. 5 Georgia 7.0% compare
  5. 6 Pakistan 6.9% compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social in South Africa was 23.4% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 31.4% in 2005.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 19.5% in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social?
South Africa ranks 3rd out of 38 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social Protection and Labor. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social Protection and Labor
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
38 places, 373 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of program beneficiaries in a quintile relative to the total number of beneficiaries in the population