Malaysia vs South Africa: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
Malaysia
11.3%
in 2018
South Africa
11.5%
in 2022
Malaysia rank
69th
South Africa rank
67th
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 11.5% against 11.3% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 13 years both countries report, Malaysia has been ahead every year.
Malaysia ranks 69th and South Africa ranks 67th of 134 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.6% | 16.6% | 10.0% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 11.0% | 5.1% | Malaysia |
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, Malaysia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 11.5% against 11.3% in Malaysia as of 2022.
- What is the difference in share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2018.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
- Malaysia ranks 69th 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.