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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) -All Social was 21.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
21.3%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
26th
of 37 countries
All-time high
22.6%
in 2005
All-time low
21.2%
in 2019
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

05101520252005201320212005: 22.62010: 22.32014: 21.62016: 21.82018: 21.62019: 21.22020: 21.32021: 21.3

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 21.3% for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) -all social in 2021.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) -all social in South Africa peaked at 22.6% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 2019.

South Africa ranks 26th of 37 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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 Protection and Labor -rural in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 22.6%
2010 22.3% -1.0%
2014 21.6% -3.3%
2016 21.8% +0.9%
2018 21.6% -0.8%
2019 21.2% -1.8%
2020 21.3% +0.3%
2021 21.3% +0.2%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 21.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21.9%, 97% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 22.6% 22.6% 22.6% 1
2010s 21.7% 21.2% 22.3% 5
2020s 21.3% 21.3% 21.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 23 Mongolia 21.5% compare
  2. 24 Russian Federation 21.5% compare
  3. 25 Chile 21.4% compare
  4. 27 Malawi 21.3% compare
  5. 28 Thailand 21.2% compare
  6. 29 Colombia 20.8% 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 21.3% 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 22.6% in 2005.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) -all social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 2019.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) -all social?
South Africa ranks 26th 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 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Protection and Labor -rural. 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-protection-and-labor/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -rural
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 365 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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