Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International in South Africa

South Africa: Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International was 8.6% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
8.6%
Change on year
up 41.7%
World rank
2nd
of 27 countries
All-time high
39.2%
in 2018
All-time low
6.1%
in 2020
Years of data
5
2016–2021

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

102030402016201820212016: 7.82018: 39.22019: 6.42020: 6.12021: 8.6

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 8.6% for benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international in 2021.

That represents a change of up 41.7% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.

South Africa ranks 2nd of 27 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International Private Transfers in South Africa, 2016 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2016 7.8%
2018 39.2% +401.4%
2019 6.4% -83.7%
2020 6.1% -5.2%
2021 8.6% +41.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 8.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0%, 373.9× the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 17.8% 6.4% 39.2% 3
2020s 7.3% 6.1% 8.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Burkina Faso 8.7% compare
  2. 3 Colombia 1.2% compare
  3. 4 Honduras 1.1%
  4. 5 Pakistan 0.8%

See the full ranking of 27 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international in South Africa?
Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international in South Africa was 8.6% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 39.2% in 2018.
What is the lowest benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international?
South Africa ranks 2nd out of 27 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - international rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International Private Transfers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator
Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - International Private Transfers
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
27 places, 264 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

Percentage of benefits going to the extreme poor (those below $125 a day) relative to the total benefits going to the population