Poverty at the national line in South Africa in 2022 — 37.9%. Ranked 44 in the world out of 52. Since 2005, the indicator has fallen by 19.6 pp.
2005–2022 · % of population
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 37.9 | — |
| 2014 | 46.7 | — |
| 2010 | 45.8 | — |
| 2008 | 55.7 | — |
| 2005 | 57.5 | — |
The share of the population below the national poverty line — the one a country has defined in its legislation or in the methodology of its statistical office. The indicator answers a question the international lines do not ask: how many people are poor by the standards of their own society. That is exactly why it is unfit for comparing countries with one another — yet it shows better than any other indicator how a country assesses poverty at home, and it is what the results of national policy are judged by.
Important: There are no aggregates for country groups, and this is not a gap: poverty lines differ between countries, and a sum of shares computed against different lines has no definition. For comparing countries there are the three international lines.
Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.
The share of the population living on less than $2.15 a day at PPP.
Labor Poverty at $3.65 a dayThe share of people living on less than $3.65 a day — the line for lower-middle-income countries.
Labor Poverty at $6.85 a dayThe share of people living on less than $6.85 a day — the line for upper-middle-income countries.
Labor Unemployment rate (IMF)Unemployment as estimated by the IMF — with a forecast, for countries with reliable labor market statistics.
Labor Unemployment rateThe share of the labor force that is looking for work and available to start.
Labor Youth unemploymentThe unemployment rate at ages 15–24 — almost always two to three times the overall rate.
