Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social in South Africa

South Africa: Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social was 0.1% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
0.1%
Change on year
down 46.6%
World rank
37th
of 40 countries
All-time high
0.4%
in 2010
All-time low
0.1%
in 2021
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social in South Africa, 2005–2021

0.10.20.30.42005201320212005: 0.1442010: 0.4312014: 0.142016: 0.4282018: 0.2952019: 0.3092020: 0.1122021: 0.06

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social in South Africa stood at 0.1%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 46.6% on the previous year and down 86.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social in South Africa peaked at 0.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2021.

That places South Africa 37th out of 40 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social Insurance (%) -urban in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 0.1%
2010 0.4% +200.3%
2014 0.1% -67.5%
2016 0.4% +205.2%
2018 0.3% -31.2%
2019 0.3% +4.9%
2020 0.1% -63.8%
2021 0.1% -46.6%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.5%, 2% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1
2010s 0.3% 0.1% 0.4% 5
2020s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 34 Burkina Faso 0.2% compare
  2. 35 El Salvador 0.1% compare
  3. 36 Bolivia 0.1% compare
  4. 38 Georgia 0.0%
  5. 38 Malawi 0.0% compare
  6. 38 Thailand 0.0% compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social in South Africa?
Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social in South Africa was 0.1% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2010.
What is the lowest population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2021.
How does South Africa rank for population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social?
South Africa ranks 37th out of 40 countries with data for 2021.
Is population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving all social rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 86.2%. 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 Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social Insurance (%) -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-the-1st-quintile-poorest-only-receiving-all-social-insurance-percent-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Population in the 1st quintile (poorest) only receiving All Social Insurance (%) -urban
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
40 places, 395 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of population only receiving All Social Insurance programs (includes direct and indirect beneficiaries)