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

South Africa: Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory was 0.7% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
0.7%
Change on year
up 76.8%
World rank
20th
of 34 countries
All-time high
38.8%
in 2018
All-time low
0.4%
in 2020
Years of data
7
2005–2021

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

0102030402005201320212005: 15.1 preT2014: 14.1 preT2016: 1.1 preT2018: 38.8 preT2019: 0.788 preT2020: 0.4 preT2021: 0.708 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

The most recent figure for benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory in South Africa is 0.7%, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 76.8% on the previous year and down 95.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory in South Africa peaked at 38.8% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 20th out of 34 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 15.1%
2014 14.1% -6.9%
2016 1.1% -92.0%
2018 38.8% +3358.4%
2019 0.8% -98.0%
2020 0.4% -49.2%
2021 0.7% +76.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.1% 15.1% 15.1% 1
2010s 13.7% 0.8% 38.8% 4
2020s 0.6% 0.4% 0.7% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 18 Viet Nam 5.3% compare
  2. 19 Türkiye 4.1% compare
  3. 21 Ecuador 0.6% compare
  4. 22 Brazil 0.5% compare
  5. 23 Dominican Republic 0.5% compare

See the full ranking of 34 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) (%) - contributory in South Africa?
Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory in South Africa was 0.7% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 2018.
What is the lowest benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory?
South Africa ranks 20th out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - contributory rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 95.0%. 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) (%) - Contributory Pensions (preT). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/benefits-incidence-in-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day-percent-contributory-pensions-pret/south-africa/

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

About this data

Indicator
Benefits incidence in extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) (%) - Contributory Pensions (preT)
Unit
preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
34 places, 346 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