Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social was 55.2% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
55.2%
Change on year
up 5.5%
World rank
1st
of 37 countries
All-time high
55.2%
in 2021
All-time low
20.7%
in 2018
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social in South Africa, 2005–2021

02040602005201320212005: 45.72010: 50.62014: 502016: 36.62018: 20.72019: 41.72020: 52.32021: 55.2

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 55.2% for beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social in 2021. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social in South Africa peaked at 55.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 20.7%, in 2018.

That places South Africa 1st out of 37 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.

Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social Insurance -urban in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 45.7%
2010 50.6% +10.7%
2014 50.0% -1.4%
2016 36.6% -26.7%
2018 20.7% -43.4%
2019 41.7% +101.2%
2020 52.3% +25.3%
2021 55.2% +5.5%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 55.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 29.2%, 1.9× the median. (24 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 45.7% 45.7% 45.7% 1
2010s 39.9% 20.7% 50.6% 5
2020s 53.7% 52.3% 55.2% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Paraguay 50.4% compare
  2. 3 Honduras 47.4% compare
  3. 4 Colombia 47.0% 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 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social in South Africa was 55.2% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 55.2% in 2021.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 20.7% in 2018.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - all social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social Insurance -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-5th-quintile-richest-percent-all-social-insurance-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - All Social Insurance -urban
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 369 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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