Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care was 67.6% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 2009–2018
Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.
Analysis
In 2018, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 67.6%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 73.8% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 67.6%, in 2018.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 39 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of people at risk | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 73.8% | — |
| 2010 | 73.2% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 69.9% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 68.0% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 67.6% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 73.8% | 73.8% | 73.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 69.7% | 67.6% | 73.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 98.0% compare
- 4 Madagascar 96.1% compare
- 5 Niger 96.0% compare
- 6 Papua New Guinea 95.8% compare
- 7 Sierra Leone 93.4% compare
- 8 Tanzania 91.5% compare
- 9 Central African Republic 89.3%
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0125 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0617 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0147 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 67.6% in 2018, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
- What is the highest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 73.8% in 2009.
- What is the lowest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 67.6% in 2018.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th out of 39 groups with data for 2018.
- Is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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).