Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social in South Africa

South Africa: Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social was 5.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
5.4%
Change on year
up 13.9%
World rank
32nd
of 39 countries
All-time high
16.1%
in 2005
All-time low
2.2%
in 2018
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social in South Africa, 2005–2021

0510152005201320212005: 16.1 %2010: 13.9 %2014: 3.8 %2016: 4.4 %2018: 2.2 %2019: 3.7 %2020: 4.7 %2021: 5.4 %

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social in South Africa is 5.4%, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 13.9% on the previous year and down 61.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social in South Africa peaked at 16.1% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2018.

That places South Africa 32nd out of 39 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social Protection (%) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year % Change
2005 16.1%
2010 13.9% -13.5%
2014 3.8% -72.4%
2016 4.4% +14.5%
2018 2.2% -49.2%
2019 3.7% +63.8%
2020 4.7% +28.4%
2021 5.4% +13.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.1% 16.1% 16.1% 1
2010s 5.6% 2.2% 13.9% 5
2020s 5.0% 4.7% 5.4% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 29 Chile 12.5% compare
  2. 30 Panama 9.1% compare
  3. 31 El Salvador 7.8% compare
  4. 33 Peru 4.7% compare
  5. 34 Viet Nam 2.9% compare
  6. 35 Thailand 2.6% 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 population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social in South Africa?
Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social in South Africa was 5.4% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 2005.
What is the lowest population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2018.
How does South Africa rank for population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social?
South Africa ranks 32nd out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.5%. 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 Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social Protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-not-receiving-social-protection-percent/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-not-receiving-social-protection-percent/south-africa/">Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) not receiving Social Protection (%)
Unit
%
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 378 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of population not receiving Social Protection programs