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

South Africa: Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving Social Assistance was 0.9% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
0.9%
Change on year
up 216.5%
World rank
31st
of 40 countries
All-time high
10.9%
in 2018
All-time low
0.3%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

02.557.5102005201320212005: 2 %, preT2010: 0.565 %, preT2014: 2 %, preT2016: 7.7 %, preT2018: 10.9 %, preT2019: 4.8 %, preT2020: 0.276 %, preT2021: 0.874 %, preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in %, preT.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.9% for population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 216.5% on the previous year and up 54.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance in South Africa peaked at 10.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 31st out of 40 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Annual values for Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving Social Assistance and Other (%, preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year %, preT Change
2005 2.0%
2010 0.6% -71.1%
2014 2.0% +262.2%
2016 7.7% +275.6%
2018 10.9% +41.6%
2019 4.8% -56.3%
2020 0.3% -94.2%
2021 0.9% +216.5%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.0%, 9% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 1
2010s 5.2% 0.6% 10.9% 5
2020s 0.6% 0.3% 0.9% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 28 Pakistan 2.7% compare
  2. 29 Panama 2.0% compare
  3. 30 Ecuador 1.0% compare
  4. 32 Malawi 0.5% compare
  5. 33 Burkina Faso 0.3% compare
  6. 34 Côte d'Ivoire 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 40 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) receiving social assistance in South Africa?
Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance in South Africa was 0.9% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 10.9% in 2018.
What is the lowest population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance?
South Africa ranks 31st out of 40 countries with data for 2021.
Is population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving social assistance rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 54.7%. 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) receiving Social Assistance and Other (%, preT). 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) receiving Social Assistance in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-receiving-social-assistance-and-other-percent-pret/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-receiving-social-assistance-and-other-percent-pret/south-africa/">Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving Social Assistance in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Population in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) receiving Social Assistance and Other (%, preT)
Unit
%, preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
40 places, 394 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of population receiving Social Assistance and Other program (includes direct and indirect beneficiaries)