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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Social was 11.6% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
11.6%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
1st
of 24 countries
All-time high
30.0%
in 2005
All-time low
11.6%
in 2021
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

01020302005201320212005: 302010: 192014: 27.82016: 18.52018: 14.92019: 162020: 11.72021: 11.6

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social in South Africa stood at 11.6%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 39.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social in South Africa peaked at 30.0% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 11.6%, in 2021.

That places South Africa 1st out of 24 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 30.0%
2010 19.0% -36.6%
2014 27.8% +46.2%
2016 18.5% -33.5%
2018 14.9% -19.6%
2019 16.0% +7.4%
2020 11.7% -26.6%
2021 11.6% -1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 30.0% 30.0% 30.0% 1
2010s 19.2% 14.9% 27.8% 5
2020s 11.7% 11.6% 11.7% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Indonesia 8.9%
  2. 3 Colombia 8.8% compare
  3. 4 Georgia 5.6% compare

See the full ranking of 24 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) (%) - social in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social in South Africa was 11.6% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 30.0% in 2005.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11.6% in 2021.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 24 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 39.0%. 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) (%) - Social Pensions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Social in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-social-pensions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Social Pensions
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
24 places, 212 data points, 2004–2023
Last refreshed

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