Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa

South Africa: Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) was 50.6% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
50.6%
Change on year
down 37.2%
World rank
17th
of 24 countries
All-time high
342.7%
in 2018
All-time low
37.6%
in 2016
Years of data
7
2005–2021

Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa, 2005–2021

01002003002005201320212005: 47.92014: 108.82016: 37.62018: 342.72019: 582020: 80.52021: 50.6

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 50.6% for adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in 2021.

The figure is down 37.2% on the previous year and down 53.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa peaked at 342.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 37.6%, in 2016.

That places South Africa 17th out of 24 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 47.9%
2014 108.8% +127.1%
2016 37.6% -65.4%
2018 342.7% +811.7%
2019 58.0% -83.1%
2020 80.5% +38.7%
2021 50.6% -37.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 47.9% 47.9% 47.9% 1
2010s 136.8% 37.6% 342.7% 4
2020s 65.5% 50.6% 80.5% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 14 Dominican Republic 59.9% compare
  2. 15 Colombia 56.9% compare
  3. 16 Pakistan 51.3% compare
  4. 18 Kosovo 42.8% compare
  5. 18 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 42.8% compare
  6. 20 Peru 42.8% compare

See the full ranking of 24 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa?
Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa was 50.6% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 342.7% in 2018.
What is the lowest adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 37.6% in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%)?
South Africa ranks 17th out of 24 countries with data for 2021.
Is adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 53.5%. 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 Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adequacy-of-benefits-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-contributory-pensions/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://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adequacy-of-benefits-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-contributory-pensions/south-africa/">Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Adequacy of benefits in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
24 places, 212 data points, 2004–2022
Last refreshed

Total transfer amount received by all beneficiaries in a population group as a share of the total welfare of beneficiaries in that group