Chile vs South Africa: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
Chile
13.8%
in 2021
South Africa
11.5%
in 2022
Chile rank
64th
South Africa rank
67th
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required over time
- Chile
- South Africa
How they compare
Chile currently reports 13.8% against 11.5% in South Africa, a difference of 2.3%.
That makes Chile's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 16 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Chile ahead.
Chile ranks 64th and South Africa ranks 67th of 134 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Chile | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.4% | 16.6% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 11.3% | 3.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 10.1% | 11.8% | 1.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required, Chile or South Africa?
- Chile, at 13.8% against 11.5% in South Africa as of 2021.
- What is the difference in share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required between Chile and South Africa?
- 2.3%, with Chile ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and South Africa?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2021.
- How do Chile and South Africa rank globally for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
- Chile ranks 64th and South Africa ranks 67th of 134 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.