Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - Social Pensions was 24.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
24.7%
Change on year
down 13.6%
World rank
6th
of 25 countries
All-time high
28.6%
in 2020
All-time low
21.7%
in 2014
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

01020302005201320212005: 23.62010: 232014: 21.72016: 28.12018: 25.62019: 28.62020: 28.62021: 24.7

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 24.7% for beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions in 2021.

The figure is down 13.6% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions in South Africa peaked at 28.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 21.7%, in 2014.

South Africa ranks 6th of 25 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 23.6%
2010 23.0% -2.9%
2014 21.7% -5.7%
2016 28.1% +29.9%
2018 25.6% -9.1%
2019 28.6% +11.6%
2020 28.6% +0.0%
2021 24.7% -13.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 23.6% 23.6% 23.6% 1
2010s 25.4% 21.7% 28.6% 5
2020s 26.6% 24.7% 28.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 3 Chile 26.3% compare
  2. 4 Costa Rica 24.8% compare
  3. 5 Paraguay 24.7% compare
  4. 7 Panama 23.2% compare
  5. 8 Colombia 22.6% compare
  6. 9 Poland 21.8% compare

See the full ranking of 25 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions in South Africa was 24.7% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 28.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 21.7% in 2014.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions?
South Africa ranks 6th out of 25 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - social pensions rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. 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 (%) - Social Pensions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-3rd-quintile-percent-social-pensions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 3rd quintile (%) - Social Pensions
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
25 places, 222 data points, 2004–2023
Last refreshed

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