Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance was 20.3% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
20.3%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
3rd
of 37 countries
All-time high
20.6%
in 2020
All-time low
19.6%
in 2010
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa, 2005–2021

051015202005201320212005: 19.82010: 19.62014: 19.92016: 20.42018: 20.52019: 20.32020: 20.62021: 20.3

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa stood at 20.3%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa peaked at 20.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 19.6%, in 2010.

South Africa ranks 3rd of 37 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance -rural in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 19.8%
2010 19.6% -0.8%
2014 19.9% +1.3%
2016 20.4% +2.8%
2018 20.5% +0.5%
2019 20.3% -1.3%
2020 20.6% +1.7%
2021 20.3% -1.4%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 20.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.6%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.8% 19.8% 19.8% 1
2010s 20.1% 19.6% 20.5% 5
2020s 20.5% 20.3% 20.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Côte d'Ivoire 24.6% compare
  2. 2 Ukraine 23.7% compare
  3. 4 Peru 20.3% compare
  4. 5 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 20.2% compare
  5. 6 Viet Nam 19.9% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa was 20.3% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 20.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 19.6% in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance?
South Africa ranks 3rd out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. 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 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance -rural. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-4th-quintile-percent-all-social-assistance-rural/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance -rural
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 365 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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