Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor in South Africa

South Africa: Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor was 22.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
22.1%
Change on year
up 18.8%
World rank
30th
of 36 countries
All-time high
24.0%
in 2019
All-time low
10.2%
in 2018
Years of data
6
2005–2021

Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor in South Africa, 2005–2021

05101520252005201320212005: 13 <$2.15 a day2016: 20.2 <$2.15 a day2018: 10.2 <$2.15 a day2019: 24 <$2.15 a day2020: 18.6 <$2.15 a day2021: 22.1 <$2.15 a day

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

Analysis

South Africa recorded 22.1% for poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.8% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor in South Africa peaked at 24.0% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 2018.

That places South Africa 30th out of 36 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor (<$2.15 a day) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year <$2.15 a day Change
2005 13.0%
2016 20.2% +54.5%
2018 10.2% -49.6%
2019 24.0% +135.8%
2020 18.6% -22.3%
2021 22.1% +18.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13.0% 13.0% 13.0% 1
2010s 18.1% 10.2% 24.0% 3
2020s 20.4% 18.6% 22.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 27 Honduras 28.8% compare
  2. 28 Peru 26.5% compare
  3. 29 Colombia 23.3% compare
  4. 31 El Salvador 20.4% compare
  5. 32 Panama 20.0% compare
  6. 33 Cote d'Ivoire 18.9% 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 poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor in South Africa?
Poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor in South Africa was 22.1% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 24.0% in 2019.
What is the lowest poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 2018.
How does South Africa rank for poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor?
South Africa ranks 30th out of 36 countries with data for 2021.
Is poverty headcount reduction (%) - all private transfers -extreme poor rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. 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 Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor (<$2.15 a day). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/poverty-headcount-reduction-percent-all-private-transfers-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day/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/poverty-headcount-reduction-percent-all-private-transfers-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day/south-africa/">Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - All Private Transfers -extreme poor in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

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

Poverty headcount reduction due to Private Transfers programs as % of pre-transfer poverty headcount