Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International in South Africa

South Africa: Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International was 17.4% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
17.4%
Change on year
down 44.9%
World rank
27th
of 27 countries
All-time high
31.6%
in 2020
All-time low
15.1%
in 2018
Years of data
5
2016–2021

Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International in South Africa, 2016–2021

01020302016201820212016: 29.72018: 15.12019: 24.72020: 31.62021: 17.4

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international in South Africa stood at 17.4%.

The figure is down 44.9% on the previous year and down 41.4% over ten years.

That places South Africa 27th out of 27 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International Private Transfers -urban in South Africa, 2016 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2016 29.7%
2018 15.1% -49.2%
2019 24.7% +63.9%
2020 31.6% +27.9%
2021 17.4% -44.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 17.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 42.6%, 41% of the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 23.1% 15.1% 29.7% 3
2020s 24.5% 17.4% 31.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 24 Armenia 35.1% compare
  2. 25 Uruguay 34.6% compare
  3. 26 Serbia 23.1% compare

See the full ranking of 27 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international in South Africa?
Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international in South Africa was 17.4% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 31.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 15.1% in 2018.
How does South Africa rank for benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international?
South Africa ranks 27th out of 27 countries with data for 2021.
Is benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - international rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 41.4%. 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 Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International Private Transfers -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/benefits-incidence-in-5th-quintile-richest-percent-international-private-transfers-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Benefits incidence in 5th quintile (richest) (%) - International Private Transfers -urban
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
27 places, 259 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

Percentage of benefits going to the richestquintile relative to the total benefits going to the population