South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required
South Africa
32.1%
in 2022
Sri Lanka
30.3%
in 2022
South Africa rank
46th
Sri Lanka rank
48th
Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 32.1% against 30.3% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 1.8%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Sri Lanka's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 16 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
South Africa ranks 46th and Sri Lanka ranks 48th of 134 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.0% | 48.5% | 14.5% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 35.9% | 5.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 32.5% | 28.0% | 4.5% | South Africa |
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, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- South Africa, at 32.1% against 30.3% in Sri Lanka 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 South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 1.8%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required?
- South Africa ranks 46th and Sri Lanka ranks 48th 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.