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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and was 16.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
16.3%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
34th
of 39 countries
All-time high
18.1%
in 2019
All-time low
11.6%
in 2005
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

051015202005201320212005: 11.62010: 13.62014: 17.22016: 16.62018: 16.92019: 18.12020: 16.52021: 16.3

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa stood at 16.3%.

The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 19.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa peaked at 18.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 11.6%, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 34th of 39 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 11.6%
2010 13.6% +17.7%
2014 17.2% +26.4%
2016 16.6% -3.8%
2018 16.9% +2.0%
2019 18.1% +7.2%
2020 16.5% -8.8%
2021 16.3% -1.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 16.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.3%, 89% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.6% 11.6% 11.6% 1
2010s 16.5% 13.6% 18.1% 5
2020s 16.4% 16.3% 16.5% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 31 Pakistan 17.4% compare
  2. 32 Honduras 16.8% compare
  3. 33 Argentina 16.7% compare
  4. 35 Colombia 16.2% compare
  5. 36 Malawi 16.0% compare
  6. 37 Paraguay 15.8% 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 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa was 16.3% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 18.1% in 2019.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11.6% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and?
South Africa ranks 34th out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.8%. 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 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 4th 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-4th-quintile-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 4th 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