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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Unconditional was 29.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
29.3%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
18th
of 30 countries
All-time high
34.0%
in 2005
All-time low
28.8%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

01020302005201320212005: 34 preT2010: 34 preT2014: 32.3 preT2016: 30 preT2018: 31.8 preT2019: 29.1 preT2020: 28.8 preT2021: 29.3 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 29.3% for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional in South Africa peaked at 34.0% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 28.8%, in 2020.

South Africa ranks 18th of 30 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Unconditional Cash Transfers (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 34.0%
2010 34.0% -0.0%
2014 32.3% -5.0%
2016 30.0% -6.9%
2018 31.8% +5.8%
2019 29.1% -8.4%
2020 28.8% -1.1%
2021 29.3% +1.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 29.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 40.1%, 73% of the median. (21 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.0% 34.0% 34.0% 1
2010s 31.4% 29.1% 34.0% 5
2020s 29.1% 28.8% 29.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 15 Republic of Moldova 40.1% compare
  2. 16 Colombia 32.9% compare
  3. 17 Chile 32.5% compare
  4. 19 Indonesia 29.3% compare
  5. 20 Mexico 28.4% compare
  6. 21 Ukraine 27.4% compare

See the full ranking of 30 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional in South Africa was 29.3% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 2005.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 28.8% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional?
South Africa ranks 18th out of 30 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - unconditional rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. 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) (%) - Unconditional Cash Transfers (preT). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Unconditional in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-1st-quintile-poorest-percent-unconditional-cash-transfers-pret/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Unconditional Cash Transfers (preT)
Unit
preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
30 places, 256 data points, 2004–2022
Last refreshed

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