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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - International was 27.9% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
27.9%
Change on year
up 21.8%
World rank
1st
of 28 countries
All-time high
49.0%
in 2018
All-time low
22.9%
in 2020
Years of data
5
2016–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - International in South Africa, 2016–2021

010203040502016201820212016: 25.62018: 492019: 23.82020: 22.92021: 27.9

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international in South Africa stood at 27.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.8% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

South Africa ranks 1st of 28 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - International Private Transfers -urban in South Africa, 2016 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2016 25.6%
2018 49.0% +91.5%
2019 23.8% -51.4%
2020 22.9% -4.0%
2021 27.9% +21.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 27.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.7%, 1.5× the median. (18 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 32.8% 23.8% 49.0% 3
2020s 25.4% 22.9% 27.9% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Albania 26.5%
  2. 3 Serbia 25.1% compare
  3. 4 Kyrgyzstan 24.4% compare

See the full ranking of 28 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international in South Africa was 27.9% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 49.0% in 2018.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 22.9% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 28 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - international rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. 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) (%) - International Private Transfers -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - International in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-1st-quintile-poorest-percent-international-private-transfers-5/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - International Private Transfers -urban
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
28 places, 265 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

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