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. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
22.7%
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
1st
of 39 countries
All-time high
23.1%
in 2020
All-time low
21.8%
in 2014
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

05101520252005201320212005: 22.32010: 222014: 21.82016: 22.72018: 222019: 21.82020: 23.12021: 22.7

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa is 22.7%, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa peaked at 23.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 21.8%, in 2014.

South Africa ranks 1st of 39 countries on this measure, 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 in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 22.3%
2010 22.0% -1.6%
2014 21.8% -1.0%
2016 22.7% +4.5%
2018 22.0% -3.4%
2019 21.8% -0.6%
2020 23.1% +5.9%
2021 22.7% -1.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 22.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.9%, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 22.3% 22.3% 22.3% 1
2010s 22.1% 21.8% 22.7% 5
2020s 22.9% 22.7% 23.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Malawi 21.5% compare
  2. 3 Chile 21.3% compare
  3. 4 Ukraine 21.2% 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 23.1% in 2020.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 21.8% in 2014.
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 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
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. 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 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-3rd-quintile-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor/south-africa/

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About this data

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