Botswana vs South Africa: Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required
Botswana
37.5%
in 2022
South Africa
32.1%
in 2022
Botswana rank
43rd
South Africa rank
46th
Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required over time
- Botswana
- South Africa
How they compare
Botswana currently reports 37.5% against 32.1% in South Africa, a difference of 5.4%.
That makes Botswana's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Botswana ahead.
Botswana ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 46th of 134 countries.
Botswana has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Botswana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.7% | 34.0% | 14.7% | Botswana |
| 2010s | 36.9% | 30.3% | 6.6% | Botswana |
| 2020s | 37.8% | 32.5% | 5.3% | Botswana |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required, Botswana or South Africa?
- Botswana, at 37.5% against 32.1% in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required between Botswana and South Africa?
- 5.4%, with Botswana ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Botswana and South Africa?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2022.
- How do Botswana and South Africa rank globally for share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required?
- Botswana ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 46th of 134 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below the extreme poverty threshold.