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Poverty Gap reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor in South Africa

South Africa: Poverty Gap reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor was 12.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
12.6%
Change on year
up 64.4%
World rank
26th
of 33 countries
All-time high
14.2%
in 2019
All-time low
5.6%
in 2005
Years of data
7
2005–2021

Poverty Gap reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor in South Africa, 2005–2021

0510152005201320212005: 5.6 <$2.15 a day2014: 9.2 <$2.15 a day2016: 11.8 <$2.15 a day2018: 11.8 <$2.15 a day2019: 14.2 <$2.15 a day2020: 7.7 <$2.15 a day2021: 12.6 <$2.15 a day

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in <$2.15 a day.

Analysis

The most recent figure for poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa is 12.6%, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 64.4% on the previous year and up 36.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa peaked at 14.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 26th of 33 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.6% 5.6% 5.6% 1
2010s 11.8% 9.2% 14.2% 4
2020s 10.2% 7.7% 12.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 23 Panama 28.8% compare
  2. 24 Dominican Republic 24.9% compare
  3. 25 Ecuador 15.8% compare
  4. 27 Colombia 12.4% compare
  5. 28 Côte d'Ivoire 10.8% compare
  6. 29 Peru 8.2% compare

See the full ranking of 33 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa?
Poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa was 12.6% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 14.2% in 2019.
What is the lowest poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor?
South Africa ranks 26th out of 33 countries with data for 2021.
Is poverty gap reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Poverty Gap reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor (<$2.15 a day). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Poverty Gap reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/poverty-gap-reduction-percent-contributory-pensions-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty Gap reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor (<$2.15 a day)
Unit
<$2.15 a day
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
33 places, 341 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Poverty gap reduction due to Contributory Pensions programs as % of pre-transfer poverty gap