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 23.6% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
23.6%
Change on year
down 13.2%
World rank
4th
of 39 countries
All-time high
58.5%
in 2005
All-time low
23.6%
in 2021
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

02040602005201320212005: 58.5 preT2010: 42.7 preT2014: 45.5 preT2016: 28.9 preT2018: 25.4 preT2019: 26.4 preT2020: 27.2 preT2021: 23.6 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

The most recent figure for beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social in South Africa is 23.6%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 13.2% on the previous year and down 44.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social in South Africa peaked at 58.5% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 23.6%, in 2021.

South Africa ranks 4th of 39 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 (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 58.5%
2010 42.7% -27.0%
2014 45.5% +6.5%
2016 28.9% -36.5%
2018 25.4% -12.0%
2019 26.4% +3.8%
2020 27.2% +3.2%
2021 23.6% -13.2%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 23.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.2%, 4.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 58.5% 58.5% 58.5% 1
2010s 33.8% 25.4% 45.5% 5
2020s 25.4% 23.6% 27.2% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Malawi 76.0% compare
  2. 2 Georgia 37.4% compare
  3. 3 Honduras 26.4% compare
  4. 5 Brazil 14.7% compare
  5. 6 Poland 14.0% compare
  6. 7 Armenia 12.7% compare

See the full ranking of 39 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 23.6% 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 58.5% 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 23.6% in 2021.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -all social?
South Africa ranks 4th out of 39 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 down 44.7%. 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 (preT). 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/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) -All Social Protection and Labor (preT)
Unit
preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 389 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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