Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa

South Africa: Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest was 0.1% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
0.1%
Change on year
up 78.6%
World rank
37th
of 37 countries
All-time high
24.6%
in 2010
All-time low
0.0%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa, 2005–2021

05101520252005201320212005: 15.9 % of total SPL benefits2010: 24.6 % of total SPL benefits2014: 18.5 % of total SPL benefits2016: 0.245 % of total SPL benefits2018: 10.5 % of total SPL benefits2019: 0.109 % of total SPL benefits2020: 0.042 % of total SPL benefits2021: 0.074 % of total SPL benefits

Source: ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total SPL benefits.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.1% for benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 78.6% on the previous year and down 99.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa peaked at 24.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 37th out of 37 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest quintile (% of total SPL benefits) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year % of total SPL benefits Change
2005 15.9%
2010 24.6% +55.2%
2014 18.5% -24.7%
2016 0.2% -98.7%
2018 10.5% +4168.1%
2019 0.1% -99.0%
2020 0.0% -61.7%
2021 0.1% +78.6%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11.5%, 1% of the median. (24 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.9% 15.9% 15.9% 1
2010s 10.8% 0.1% 24.6% 5
2020s 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 34 Thailand 1.5% compare
  2. 35 Côte d'Ivoire 0.6% compare
  3. 36 Colombia 0.4% 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 benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa?
Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa was 0.1% in 2021, according to ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 2010.
What is the lowest benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest?
South Africa ranks 37th out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 99.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB), published as part of Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest quintile (% of total SPL benefits). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/benefit-incidence-of-social-protection-and-labor-programs-to-poorest-quintile-percent-of/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs to poorest quintile (% of total SPL benefits)
Unit
% of total SPL benefits
Source
ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 372 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Benefit incidence of social protection and labor programs (SPL) to poorest quintile shows the percentage of total social protection and labor programs benefits received by the poorest 20% of the population. Social protection and labor programs include social insurance, social safety nets, and unemployment benefits and active labor market programs. Estimates include both direct and indirect beneficiaries.