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

South Africa: Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor was 6.1% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
6.1%
Change on year
up 62.6%
World rank
28th
of 33 countries
All-time high
7.4%
in 2019
All-time low
2.4%
in 2005
Years of data
7
2005–2021

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

2345672005201320212005: 2.4 <$2.15 a day2014: 3.9 <$2.15 a day2016: 6.2 <$2.15 a day2018: 4.4 <$2.15 a day2019: 7.4 <$2.15 a day2020: 3.7 <$2.15 a day2021: 6.1 <$2.15 a day

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

Analysis

In 2021, poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa stood at 6.1%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 62.6% on the previous year and up 55.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa peaked at 7.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 28th of 33 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.4% 2.4% 2.4% 1
2010s 5.5% 3.9% 7.4% 4
2020s 4.9% 3.7% 6.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 25 Ecuador 11.3% compare
  2. 26 Colombia 9.0% compare
  3. 27 Peru 7.9% compare
  4. 29 Côte d'Ivoire 4.1% compare
  5. 30 Paraguay 1.3% compare
  6. 31 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 1.2% 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 headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa?
Poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor in South Africa was 6.1% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 2019.
What is the lowest poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor?
South Africa ranks 28th out of 33 countries with data for 2021.
Is poverty headcount reduction (%) - contributory pensions -extreme poor rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 55.3%. 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 (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor (<$2.15 a day). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Poverty Headcount reduction (%) - Contributory Pensions -extreme poor in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/poverty-headcount-reduction-percent-contributory-pensions-extreme-poor-2-15-a-day/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty Headcount 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 headcount reduction due to Contributory Pensions programs as % of pre-transfer poverty headcount