Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa
South Africa: Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required was 32.1% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa, 2005–2022
Source: Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of people at risk.
Analysis
In 2022, share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa stood at 32.1%.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa peaked at 37.6% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 24.8%, in 2018.
That places South Africa 46th out of 134 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of people at risk | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 37.6% | — |
| 2006 | 36.7% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 33.2% | -9.5% |
| 2009 | 28.5% | -14.2% |
| 2010 | 32.6% | +14.4% |
| 2011 | 32.1% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 31.8% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 31.8% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 32.4% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 32.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 25.3% | -21.9% |
| 2017 | 25.1% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 24.8% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 34.3% | +38.3% |
| 2020 | 33.1% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 32.3% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 32.1% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.0% | 28.5% | 37.6% | 4 |
| 2010s | 30.3% | 24.8% | 34.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.5% | 32.1% | 33.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa?
- Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required in South Africa was 32.1% in 2022, according to Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 37.6% in 2005.
- What is the lowest share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.8% in 2018.
- How does South Africa rank for share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required?
- South Africa ranks 46th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people at risk of falling into poverty if payment for surgical care is required. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below the extreme poverty threshold.