Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa

South Africa: Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions was 15.9% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
15.9%
Change on year
up 96.1%
World rank
10th
of 25 countries
All-time high
69.5%
in 2005
All-time low
8.1%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa, 2005–2021

02040602005201320212005: 69.5 preT2010: 62.5 preT2014: 65.4 preT2016: 18.3 preT2018: 19.9 preT2019: 12.5 preT2020: 8.1 preT2021: 15.9 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

The most recent figure for coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions in South Africa is 15.9%, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 96.1% on the previous year and down 74.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions in South Africa peaked at 69.5% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 8.1%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 10th out of 25 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 69.5%
2010 62.5% -10.1%
2014 65.4% +4.6%
2016 18.3% -72.0%
2018 19.9% +8.7%
2019 12.5% -37.3%
2020 8.1% -35.1%
2021 15.9% +96.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 69.5% 69.5% 69.5% 1
2010s 35.7% 12.5% 65.4% 5
2020s 12.0% 8.1% 15.9% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 7 Paraguay 19.8% compare
  2. 8 Panama 19.3% compare
  3. 9 Costa Rica 17.9% compare
  4. 11 Peru 13.7% compare
  5. 12 Sri Lanka 12.8% compare
  6. 13 Republic of Moldova 12.8% compare

See the full ranking of 25 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions in South Africa?
Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions in South Africa was 15.9% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 69.5% in 2005.
What is the lowest coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 8.1% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions?
South Africa ranks 10th out of 25 countries with data for 2021.
Is coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - social pensions rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 74.6%. 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 Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions (preT). 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

Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/coverage-in-1st-quintile-poorest-percent-social-pensions-pret/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/coverage-in-1st-quintile-poorest-percent-social-pensions-pret/south-africa/">Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Coverage in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - Social Pensions (preT)
Unit
preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
25 places, 222 data points, 2004–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of population participating in Social Pensions programs (includes direct and indirect beneficiaries)