Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) was 1.0% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
1.0%
Change on year
up 9.1%
World rank
3rd
of 36 countries
All-time high
22.3%
in 2018
All-time low
0.9%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa, 2005–2021

051015202005201320212005: 7.62010: 3.32014: 5.42016: 8.92018: 22.32019: 3.62020: 0.932021: 1

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa stood at 1.0%.

That represents a change of up 9.1% on the previous year and down 69.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa peaked at 22.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2020.

South Africa ranks 3rd of 36 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 7.6%
2010 3.3% -56.2%
2014 5.4% +63.6%
2016 8.9% +64.8%
2018 22.3% +150.1%
2019 3.6% -83.7%
2020 0.9% -74.4%
2021 1.0% +9.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.6% 7.6% 7.6% 1
2010s 8.7% 3.3% 22.3% 5
2020s 1.0% 0.9% 1.0% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Côte d'Ivoire 1.6% compare
  2. 2 Pakistan 1.0% compare
  3. 4 Armenia 0.8% compare
  4. 5 Indonesia 0.7% compare
  5. 6 Kyrgyzstan 0.5% compare

See the full ranking of 36 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa was 1.0% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 22.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%)?
South Africa ranks 3rd out of 36 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 69.3%. 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 Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-contributory-pensions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
36 places, 352 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of program beneficiaries in a quintile relative to the total number of beneficiaries in the population