Brazil vs South Africa: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income

Brazil
21.2%
in 2024
South Africa
20.4%
in 2022
Brazil rank
5th
South Africa rank
8th

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income over time

  • Brazil
  • South Africa
0102030198120022024

How they compare

Brazil currently reports 21.2% against 20.4% in South Africa, a difference of 0.8%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 5 shared years of data; in 1993 it was South Africa ahead.

Brazil ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 8th of 130 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Brazil averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Brazil South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 25.2% 25.4% 0.2% South Africa
2000s 23.9% 21.7% 2.2% Brazil
2010s 22.3% 22.3% 0.0%
2020s 22.0% 20.4% 1.6% Brazil

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, Brazil or South Africa?
Brazil, at 21.2% against 20.4% in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income between Brazil and South Africa?
0.8%, with Brazil ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
5 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2022.
How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Brazil ranks 5th and South Africa ranks 8th of 130 countries.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Brazil vs South Africa: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 19 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent-2/brazil/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
131 places, 2,510 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed