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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) was 22.2% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
22.2%
Change on year
up 15.8%
World rank
1st
of 28 countries
All-time high
48.7%
in 2018
All-time low
19.2%
in 2020
Years of data
5
2016–2021

Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa, 2016–2021

010203040502016201820212016: 26.22018: 48.72019: 21.52020: 19.22021: 22.2

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa stood at 22.2%.

That represents a change of up 15.8% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.

South Africa ranks 1st of 28 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International Private Transfers in South Africa, 2016 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2016 26.2%
2018 48.7% +86.3%
2019 21.5% -55.8%
2020 19.2% -11.0%
2021 22.2% +15.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 22.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1%, 155.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 32.1% 21.5% 48.7% 3
2020s 20.7% 19.2% 22.2% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Burkina Faso 19.1% compare
  2. 3 Colombia 5.5% compare
  3. 4 Honduras 4.4%

See the full ranking of 28 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) (%) in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa was 22.2% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 48.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 19.2% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%)?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 28 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. 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) (%) - International Private Transfers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-international-private-transfers-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International Private Transfers
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
28 places, 270 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

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