Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to was 35.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
35.2%
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
1st
of 12 groups
All-time high
45.9%
in 2000
All-time low
35.2%
in 2021
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2022

010203040502000201120222000: 45.9 %2001: 44.7 %2002: 44.4 %2003: 42.9 %2004: 41.8 %2005: 42.8 %2006: 40.7 %2007: 40.9 %2008: 39.5 %2009: 39.1 %2010: 38.5 %2011: 38 %2012: 38.5 %2013: 37.8 %2014: 38.8 %2015: 38.7 %2016: 37.9 %2017: 36.6 %2018: 36.3 %2019: 35.4 %2020: 35.7 %2021: 35.2 %2022: 35.2 %

Source: Universal Health Coverage Dataset, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 35.2%.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 45.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 35.2%, in 2021.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health expenditure (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 45.9%
2001 44.7% -2.6%
2002 44.4% -0.7%
2003 42.9% -3.4%
2004 41.8% -2.6%
2005 42.8% +2.4%
2006 40.7% -4.9%
2007 40.9% +0.4%
2008 39.5% -3.2%
2009 39.1% -1.0%
2010 38.5% -1.7%
2011 38.0% -1.2%
2012 38.5% +1.4%
2013 37.8% -2.0%
2014 38.8% +2.7%
2015 38.7% -0.3%
2016 37.9% -2.0%
2017 36.6% -3.5%
2018 36.3% -0.8%
2019 35.4% -2.4%
2020 35.7% +0.8%
2021 35.2% -1.6%
2022 35.2% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 42.3% 39.1% 45.9% 10
2010s 37.6% 35.4% 38.8% 10
2020s 35.4% 35.2% 35.7% 3

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 1 Nigeria 47.4% compare
  2. 2 Malawi 43.0% compare
  3. 3 Bangladesh 41.7% compare
  4. 4 Mali 40.1% compare

See the full ranking of 92 places →

More reference data data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa was 35.2% in 2022, according to Universal Health Coverage Dataset, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest proportion of population facing financial hardship due to recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 45.9% in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of population facing financial hardship due to recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 35.2% in 2021.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for proportion of population facing financial hardship due to?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 1st out of 12 groups with data for 2022.
Is proportion of population facing financial hardship due to rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from Universal Health Coverage Dataset, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health expenditure (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Universal Health Coverage Dataset, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-facing-financial-hardship-due-to-out-of-pocket-health/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population facing financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health expenditure (%)
Unit
%
Source
Universal Health Coverage Dataset, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
92 places, 1,175 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of population spending more than 40% of household discretionary budget on out-of-pocket health expenditure (%) The discretionary budget is defined as the total household budget, measured by consumption expenditure or income, minus the societal poverty line (SPL ). Using 2017 purchasing power parities (PPPs), the SPL corresponds to whichever is greater: $2.15 (the international poverty line) or $1.15 + 50% of median household consumption expenditure or income, excluding out-of-pocket household expenditure on health. Out-of-pocket health expenditure is defined as any spending incurred by a household when any member uses a health good or service to receive any type of care (preventive, curative, rehabilitative, long-term or palliative care); provided by any type of provider; for any type of disease, illness or health condition; in any type of setting (outpatient, inpatient, at home).