Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private in South Africa

South Africa: Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private was 8.6% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
8.6%
Change on year
up 41.7%
World rank
3rd
of 36 countries
All-time high
40.0%
in 2018
All-time low
6.1%
in 2020
Years of data
6
2005–2021

Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private in South Africa, 2005–2021

102030402005201320212005: 16.7 preT2016: 7.8 preT2018: 40 preT2019: 6.4 preT2020: 6.1 preT2021: 8.6 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

In 2021, benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private in South Africa stood at 8.6%.

That represents a change of up 41.7% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private in South Africa peaked at 40.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 6.1%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 3rd out of 36 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private Transfers (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 16.7%
2016 7.8% -53.0%
2018 40.0% +411.1%
2019 6.4% -84.0%
2020 6.1% -5.4%
2021 8.6% +41.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.7% 16.7% 16.7% 1
2010s 18.1% 6.4% 40.0% 3
2020s 7.3% 6.1% 8.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Malawi 29.5% compare
  2. 2 Georgia 18.6% compare
  3. 4 Burkina Faso 7.6% compare
  4. 5 Armenia 5.5% compare
  5. 6 Serbia 5.2% 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 benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private in South Africa?
Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private in South Africa was 8.6% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 40.0% in 2018.
What is the lowest benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private?
South Africa ranks 3rd out of 36 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - all private rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. 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 Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private Transfers (preT). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/benefits-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-all-private-transfers-pret/south-africa/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/benefits-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-all-private-transfers-pret/south-africa/">Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - All Private Transfers (preT)
Unit
preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
36 places, 350 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of benefits going to the extreme poor (those below $125 a day) relative to the total benefits going to the population