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

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - Unconditional was 3.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
3.3%
Change on year
down 19.8%
World rank
24th
of 30 countries
All-time high
4.9%
in 2019
All-time low
1.8%
in 2010
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

0123452005201320212005: 2.52010: 1.82014: 3.22016: 3.12018: 42019: 4.92020: 4.12021: 3.3

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 3.3% for beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional in 2021.

The figure is down 19.8% on the previous year and up 82.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional in South Africa peaked at 4.9% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 2010.

South Africa ranks 24th of 30 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - Unconditional Cash Transfers in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 2.5%
2010 1.8% -29.3%
2014 3.2% +80.3%
2016 3.1% -3.7%
2018 4.0% +29.6%
2019 4.9% +22.1%
2020 4.1% -17.2%
2021 3.3% -19.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 3.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.1%, 40% of the median. (21 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 1
2010s 3.4% 1.8% 4.9% 5
2020s 3.7% 3.3% 4.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 22 Kyrgyzstan 4.7% compare
  2. 23 Chile 4.3% compare
  3. 25 Albania 3.2% compare
  4. 26 Colombia 2.9% compare
  5. 27 Türkiye 1.9% compare

See the full ranking of 30 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional in South Africa was 3.3% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2019.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional?
South Africa ranks 24th out of 30 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - unconditional rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 82.5%. 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 5th quintile (richest) (%) - Unconditional Cash Transfers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - Unconditional in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-5th-quintile-richest-percent-unconditional-cash-transfers/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - Unconditional Cash Transfers
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
30 places, 256 data points, 2004–2022
Last refreshed

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