Iran vs South Africa: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care

Iran
29.8%
in 2022
South Africa
32.1%
in 2022
Iran rank
49th
South Africa rank
46th

Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care over time

  • Iran
  • South Africa
010203040200320122022

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 32.1% against 29.8% in Iran, a difference of 2.3%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Iran's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2005 it was South Africa ahead.

Iran ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 46th of 134 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 31.4% 34.0% 2.6% South Africa
2010s 27.8% 30.3% 2.4% South Africa
2020s 31.8% 32.5% 0.7% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care, Iran or South Africa?
South Africa, at 32.1% against 29.8% in Iran as of 2022.
What is the difference in risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care between Iran and South Africa?
2.3%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Africa?
17 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2022.
How do Iran and South Africa rank globally for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care?
Iran ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 46th of 134 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iran vs South Africa: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care. Statizoid, drawing on Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/risk-of-impoverishing-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/iran-islamic-rep/south-africa/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/risk-of-impoverishing-expenditure-for-surgical-care-percent-of-people-at-risk/iran-islamic-rep/south-africa/">Iran vs South Africa: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk)
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,065 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

The proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below a poverty threshold (using a threshold of $2.15 PPP/day).