South Africa vs Tunisia: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
South Africa
11.5%
in 2022
Tunisia
13.6%
in 2022
South Africa rank
67th
Tunisia rank
65th
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required over time
- South Africa
- Tunisia
How they compare
Tunisia currently reports 13.6% against 11.5% in South Africa, a difference of 2.1%.
That makes Tunisia's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 14 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Tunisia ahead.
South Africa ranks 67th and Tunisia ranks 65th of 134 countries.
Tunisia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Tunisia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.7% | 39.2% | 18.5% | Tunisia |
| 2010s | 11.3% | 14.2% | 2.9% | Tunisia |
| 2020s | 11.7% | 13.9% | 2.2% | Tunisia |
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, South Africa or Tunisia?
- Tunisia, at 13.6% against 11.5% in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required between South Africa and Tunisia?
- 2.1%, with Tunisia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Tunisia?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and Tunisia rank globally for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
- South Africa ranks 67th and Tunisia ranks 65th 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.