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

South Africa: Benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and was 18.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
18.0%
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
30th
of 36 countries
All-time high
21.9%
in 2018
All-time low
14.4%
in 2014
Years of data
8
2005–2021

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

051015202005201320212005: 15.82010: 14.62014: 14.42016: 182018: 21.92019: 19.32020: 17.42021: 18

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

The most recent figure for benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa is 18.0%, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 23.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa peaked at 21.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2014.

That places South Africa 30th out of 36 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Annual values for Benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 15.8%
2010 14.6% -7.8%
2014 14.4% -1.4%
2016 18.0% +25.1%
2018 21.9% +21.7%
2019 19.3% -12.2%
2020 17.4% -9.8%
2021 18.0% +3.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 18.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19.5%, 92% of the median. (24 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.8% 15.8% 15.8% 1
2010s 17.6% 14.4% 21.9% 5
2020s 17.7% 17.4% 18.0% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 27 Honduras 18.7% compare
  2. 28 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 18.7% compare
  3. 29 Costa Rica 18.5% compare
  4. 31 El Salvador 17.9% compare
  5. 32 Colombia 17.5% compare
  6. 33 Pakistan 16.7% compare

See the full ranking of 36 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa?
Benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and in South Africa was 18.0% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 21.9% in 2018.
What is the lowest benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2014.
How does South Africa rank for benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and?
South Africa ranks 30th out of 36 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -all social protection and rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.5%. 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 Benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

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

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/benefits-incidence-in-4th-quintile-percent-all-social-protection-and-labor-urban/south-africa/">Benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Benefits incidence in 4th quintile (%) -All Social Protection and Labor -urban
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
36 places, 367 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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