Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa

South Africa: Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance was 70.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
70.7%
Change on year
down 5.2%
World rank
8th
of 39 countries
All-time high
78.4%
in 2019
All-time low
34.3%
in 2005
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa, 2005–2021

0204060802005201320212005: 34.3 preT2010: 42.9 preT2014: 69.5 preT2016: 69.3 preT2018: 67.4 preT2019: 78.4 preT2020: 74.6 preT2021: 70.7 preT

Source: ASPIRE. Measured in preT.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 70.7% for coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in 2021.

That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and up 64.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa peaked at 78.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 2005.

That places South Africa 8th out of 39 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance (preT) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year preT Change
2005 34.3%
2010 42.9% +25.0%
2014 69.5% +61.9%
2016 69.3% -0.2%
2018 67.4% -2.8%
2019 78.4% +16.3%
2020 74.6% -4.8%
2021 70.7% -5.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.3% 34.3% 34.3% 1
2010s 65.5% 42.9% 78.4% 5
2020s 72.7% 70.7% 74.6% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 5 Thailand 83.1% compare
  2. 6 Peru 75.1% compare
  3. 7 Chile 73.2% compare
  4. 9 Romania 58.4% compare
  5. 10 Russia 57.1% compare
  6. 11 Panama 55.2% compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa?
Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance in South Africa was 70.7% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 78.4% in 2019.
What is the lowest coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance?
South Africa ranks 8th out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is coverage in 4th quintile (%) - all social assistance rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 64.8%. 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 Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance (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 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/coverage-in-4th-quintile-percent-all-social-assistance-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-4th-quintile-percent-all-social-assistance-pret/south-africa/">Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Coverage in 4th quintile (%) - All Social Assistance (preT)
Unit
preT
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 390 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

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