Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social was 1.8% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
1.8%
Change on year
up 201.9%
World rank
34th
of 37 countries
All-time high
22.3%
in 2018
All-time low
0.6%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social in South Africa, 2005–2021

051015202005201320212005: 7.52010: 4.32014: 5.42016: 7.22018: 22.32019: 32020: 0.6032021: 1.8

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social in South Africa stood at 1.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 201.9% on the previous year and down 58.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social in South Africa peaked at 22.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2020.

South Africa ranks 34th of 37 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social Insurance in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 7.5%
2010 4.3% -42.2%
2014 5.4% +24.9%
2016 7.2% +33.5%
2018 22.3% +208.7%
2019 3.0% -86.7%
2020 0.6% -79.7%
2021 1.8% +201.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 1.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.7%, 21% of the median. (24 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.5% 7.5% 7.5% 1
2010s 8.4% 3.0% 22.3% 5
2020s 1.2% 0.6% 1.8% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 31 Peru 4.1% compare
  2. 32 Ecuador 3.4% compare
  3. 33 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 2.9% compare
  4. 35 Honduras 1.2% compare
  5. 36 Colombia 0.6% compare
  6. 37 Paraguay 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social in South Africa was 1.8% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 22.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social?
South Africa ranks 34th out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social Insurance. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-1st-quintile-poorest-percent-all-social-insurance/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Social Insurance
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 369 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of program beneficiaries in a quintile relative to the total number of beneficiaries in the population