Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and was 22.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
22.7%
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
1st
of 39 countries
All-time high
23.3%
in 2020
All-time low
20.3%
in 2010
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa, 2005–2021

05101520252005201320212005: 20.5 preT2010: 20.3 preT2014: 21.4 preT2016: 22.7 preT2018: 22.1 preT2019: 22.1 preT2020: 23.3 preT2021: 22.7 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 22.7% for beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa peaked at 23.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 2010.

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

Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 20.5%
2010 20.3% -1.0%
2014 21.4% +5.5%
2016 22.7% +5.9%
2018 22.1% -2.7%
2019 22.1% -0.2%
2020 23.3% +5.4%
2021 22.7% -2.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 22.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.6%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20.5% 20.5% 20.5% 1
2010s 21.7% 20.3% 22.7% 5
2020s 23.0% 22.7% 23.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Romania 21.7% compare
  2. 3 Chile 21.4% compare
  3. 4 Malawi 21.0% 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 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa was 22.7% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2020.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor (preT). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-3rd-quintile-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor-pret/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor (preT)
Unit
preT
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