Poverty & Inequality in South Africa 20 indicators covering poverty & inequality for South Africa. IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank Poverty headcount ratio at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 59.6% 2022 down 8.4% 33rd Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 30.2% 2022 down 26.7% 26th Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 17.4% 2022 down 37.4% 26th Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 5.1% 2022 down 46.9% 24th Prosperity gap 5.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 2022 down 23.0% 28th Poverty gap at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 28.4% 2022 down 20.7% 29th Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 33.8% 2022 down 12.7% 21st Poverty gap at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 10.5% 2022 down 37.9% 26th Population living in slums 24.2% 2022 down 4.4% 75th Income share held by second 20% 6.9% 2022 up 32.7% 120th Gini index 54.1 2022 down 11.2% 3rd Income share held by lowest 20% 3.7% 2022 up 37.0% 117th Income share held by lowest 10% 1.4% 2022 up 40.0% 115th Income share held by highest 10% 42.1% 2022 down 12.7% 3rd Income share held by highest 20% 59.5% 2022 down 10.5% 2nd Income share held by fourth 20% 19.1% 2022 up 13.0% 119th Income share held by third 20% 10.8% 2022 up 24.1% 120th Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income 20.4% 2022 down 10.1% 8th Share of population living in extreme poverty vs. GDP per capita 17.4% 2022 down 37.4% 26th Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines 37.9% 2022 down 17.2% 7th