Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa

South Africa: Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions was 65.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
65.5%
Change on year
down 6.8%
World rank
5th
of 34 countries
All-time high
77.7%
in 2019
All-time low
42.7%
in 2018
Years of data
7
2005–2021

Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, 2005–2021

0204060802005201320212005: 562014: 51.12016: 62.22018: 42.72019: 77.72020: 70.32021: 65.5

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 65.5% for adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions in 2021.

That represents a change of down 6.8% on the previous year and up 28.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa peaked at 77.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 42.7%, in 2018.

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

Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions -urban in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 56.0%
2014 51.1% -8.8%
2016 62.2% +21.7%
2018 42.7% -31.4%
2019 77.7% +82.1%
2020 70.3% -9.5%
2021 65.5% -6.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 56.0% 56.0% 56.0% 1
2010s 58.4% 42.7% 77.7% 4
2020s 67.9% 65.5% 70.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 2 Thailand 99.9% compare
  2. 3 Romania 91.9% compare
  3. 4 Kazakhstan 65.7% compare
  4. 6 Belarus 59.8% compare
  5. 7 Serbia 59.5% compare
  6. 8 Türkiye 55.4% 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 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa?
Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions in South Africa was 65.5% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 77.7% in 2019.
What is the lowest adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 42.7% in 2018.
How does South Africa rank for adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions?
South Africa ranks 5th out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
Is adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - contributory pensions rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.2%. 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 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions -urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adequacy-of-benefits-in-4th-quintile-percent-contributory-pensions-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Adequacy of benefits in 4th quintile (%) - Contributory Pensions -urban
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