Society · Poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) · South Africa
South Africa’s poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) was 17.4% of population in 2022.
17.4% of population
2022Derived
Down 10.5 pp from 2014.
Stale — last updated 18 Oct 2026
In plain words
17.4% of population
What it is. Share of the population living on less than $3.00 a day (2021 purchasing power parity). A World Bank modelled estimate from household surveys, interpolated or extrapolated between survey years; not an official national release.
Lower is better. A fall in poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) is generally good news; a rise, bad news.
Why it matters. A percentage puts countries of different sizes on the same footing, so it can be compared across borders and over time.
| Period | Poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) · South Africa |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 44.6% of population |
| 2000 | 47.9% of population |
| 2005 | 40.7% of population |
| 2008 | 37% of population |
| 2010 | 27.8% of population |
| 2014 | 27.9% of population |
| 2022 | 17.4% of population |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Poverty headcount ($3.00 a day), South Africa, 2022; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 18 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/society/poverty-headcount/south-africa
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
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Methodology
Share of the population living on less than $3.00 a day (2021 purchasing power parity). A World Bank modelled estimate from household surveys, interpolated or extrapolated between survey years; not an official national release.
Share of the population living on less than $3.00 a day (2021 purchasing power parity). Unit: % of population.
This is a World Bank modelled estimate. It is built from household surveys and interpolated or extrapolated between survey years. It is not an official national release, and every value carries the Derived label.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SI.POV.DDAY), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.