Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and was 25.1% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
25.1%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
1st
of 39 countries
All-time high
28.3%
in 2005
All-time low
22.9%
in 2019
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa, 2005–2021

01020302005201320212005: 28.32010: 25.82014: 24.22016: 25.72018: 24.92019: 22.92020: 25.32021: 25.1

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa is 25.1%, measured in 2021.

The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa peaked at 28.3% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 22.9%, in 2019.

That places South Africa 1st out of 39 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 28.3%
2010 25.8% -8.9%
2014 24.2% -6.2%
2016 25.7% +6.2%
2018 24.9% -3.0%
2019 22.9% -8.0%
2020 25.3% +10.7%
2021 25.1% -0.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 25.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 21.8%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 28.3% 28.3% 28.3% 1
2010s 24.7% 22.9% 25.8% 5
2020s 25.2% 25.1% 25.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Paraguay 24.5% compare
  2. 3 Malawi 24.0% compare
  3. 4 Dominican Republic 23.9% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa was 25.1% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 28.3% in 2005.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 22.9% in 2019.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -all social protection and rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. 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 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-2nd-quintile-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 2nd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 390 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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