Coverage of social protection and labor programs in South Africa

South Africa: Coverage of social protection and labor programs was 78.4% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
78.4%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
10th
of 39 countries
All-time high
84.2%
in 2019
All-time low
58.5%
in 2005
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Coverage of social protection and labor programs in South Africa, 2005–2021

0204060802005201320212005: 58.5 % of population2010: 62.8 % of population2014: 79.9 % of population2016: 78.1 % of population2018: 78.1 % of population2019: 84.2 % of population2020: 78.7 % of population2021: 78.4 % of population

Source: ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of population.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 78.4% for coverage of social protection and labor programs in 2021.

The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 24.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, coverage of social protection and labor programs in South Africa peaked at 84.2% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 58.5%, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 10th of 39 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Coverage of social protection and labor programs in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population) in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year % of population Change
2005 58.5%
2010 62.8% +7.2%
2014 79.9% +27.3%
2016 78.1% -2.2%
2018 78.1% -0.1%
2019 84.2% +7.9%
2020 78.7% -6.6%
2021 78.4% -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 58.5% 58.5% 58.5% 1
2010s 76.6% 62.8% 84.2% 5
2020s 78.5% 78.4% 78.7% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 7 Peru 83.4% compare
  2. 8 Romania 79.8% compare
  3. 9 Poland 79.2% compare
  4. 11 Russian Federation 77.5% compare
  5. 12 Panama 76.8% compare
  6. 13 Armenia 75.3% 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 of social protection and labor programs in South Africa?
Coverage of social protection and labor programs in South Africa was 78.4% in 2021, according to ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB).
What is the highest coverage of social protection and labor programs recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 84.2% in 2019.
What is the lowest coverage of social protection and labor programs recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 58.5% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for coverage of social protection and labor programs?
South Africa ranks 10th out of 39 countries with data for 2021.
Is coverage of social protection and labor programs rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB), published as part of Coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population). 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 of social protection and labor programs in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/coverage-of-social-protection-and-labor-programs-percent-of-population/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-of-social-protection-and-labor-programs-percent-of-population/south-africa/">Coverage of social protection and labor programs in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Coverage of social protection and labor programs (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
ASPIRE: The Atlas of Social Protection - Indicators of Resilience and Equity, World Bank (WB)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 390 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Coverage of social protection and labor programs (SPL) shows the percentage of population participating in social insurance, social safety net, and unemployment benefits and active labor market programs. Estimates include both direct and indirect beneficiaries.