Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa

South Africa: Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and was 2.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
2.5%
Change on year
up 51.8%
World rank
37th
of 37 countries
All-time high
24.3%
in 2010
All-time low
1.6%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa, 2005–2021

05101520252005201320212005: 17.72010: 24.32014: 16.82016: 3.12018: 15.92019: 3.12020: 1.62021: 2.5

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 2.5% for benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in 2021.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 51.8% on the previous year and down 89.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa peaked at 24.3% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2020.

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

Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 17.7%
2010 24.3% +37.3%
2014 16.8% -30.8%
2016 3.1% -81.7%
2018 15.9% +417.9%
2019 3.1% -80.4%
2020 1.6% -47.8%
2021 2.5% +51.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 2.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.3%, 16% of the median. (24 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.7% 17.7% 17.7% 1
2010s 12.6% 3.1% 24.3% 5
2020s 2.0% 1.6% 2.5% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 34 Thailand 8.1% compare
  2. 35 Honduras 5.5% compare
  3. 36 Colombia 4.6% 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 benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa?
Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa was 2.5% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 2010.
What is the lowest benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and?
South Africa ranks 37th out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -all social protection and rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 89.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE, published as part of Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/benefits-incidence-in-3rd-quintile-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Benefits incidence in 3rd quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 372 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of benefits going to the third quintile relative to the total benefits going to the population