Share of population in poverty at different thresholds

Poverty in South Africa fell in the late 1990s and early 2000s, from almost 35% Africans living in extreme poverty (by the World Bank definition of $1.90 per day) to 17% by 2008. However, poverty rates began to rise again after the global financial crisis.  South Africa’s population is also highly unequal compared to other middle-income economies, as about 90% of the population earn less than US$30 per day.