Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa

South Africa: Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions was 62.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
62.8%
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
5th
of 34 countries
All-time high
108.5%
in 2018
All-time low
42.5%
in 2016
Years of data
7
2005–2021

Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, 2005–2021

02550751002005201320212005: 44.92014: 57.72016: 42.52018: 108.52019: 61.92020: 612021: 62.8

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa stood at 62.8%.

That represents a change of up 3.0% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa peaked at 108.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 42.5%, in 2016.

That places South Africa 5th out of 34 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 44.9%
2014 57.7% +28.5%
2016 42.5% -26.3%
2018 108.5% +155.4%
2019 61.9% -42.9%
2020 61.0% -1.6%
2021 62.8% +3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 44.9% 44.9% 44.9% 1
2010s 67.6% 42.5% 108.5% 4
2020s 61.9% 61.0% 62.8% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Poland 100.5% compare
  2. 3 Romania 95.4% compare
  3. 4 Belarus 77.0% compare
  4. 6 Serbia 61.4% compare
  5. 7 Republic of Moldova 59.1% compare
  6. 8 Türkiye 57.7% compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa?
Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa was 62.8% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 108.5% in 2018.
What is the lowest adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 42.5% in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions?
South Africa ranks 5th out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
Is adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - contributory pensions rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. 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 Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adequacy-of-benefits-in-3rd-quintile-percent-contributory-pensions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Adequacy of benefits in 3rd quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
34 places, 347 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Total transfer amount received by all beneficiaries in a population group as a share of the total welfare of beneficiaries in that group