Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social in South Africa

South Africa: Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social was 94.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
94.5%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
4th
of 39 countries
All-time high
95.2%
in 2014
All-time low
82.5%
in 2005
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social in South Africa, 2005–2021

0204060801002005201320212005: 82.5 %2010: 85.3 %2014: 95.2 %2016: 88.1 %2018: 88.7 %2019: 91.8 %2020: 95.2 %2021: 94.5 %

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social in South Africa stood at 94.5%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 10.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social in South Africa peaked at 95.2% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 82.5%, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 4th of 39 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social Assistance (%) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year % Change
2005 82.5%
2010 85.3% +3.4%
2014 95.2% +11.7%
2016 88.1% -7.5%
2018 88.7% +0.7%
2019 91.8% +3.5%
2020 95.2% +3.7%
2021 94.5% -0.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 94.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 59.0%, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 82.5% 82.5% 82.5% 1
2010s 89.8% 85.3% 95.2% 5
2020s 94.8% 94.5% 95.2% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Mongolia 100.0% compare
  2. 2 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 99.3% compare
  3. 3 Thailand 97.4% compare
  4. 5 Viet Nam 91.3% compare
  5. 6 Peru 90.4% compare
  6. 7 Panama 89.9% 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) only receiving all social in South Africa?
Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social in South Africa was 94.5% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 95.2% in 2014.
What is the lowest population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 82.5% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social?
South Africa ranks 4th out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving all social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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) only receiving All Social Assistance (%). 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) only receiving All 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-only-receiving-all-social-assistance-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-only-receiving-all-social-assistance-percent/south-africa/">Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) only receiving All Social Assistance (%)
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 only receiving All Social Assistance programs (includes direct and indirect beneficiaries)