Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private in South Africa

South Africa: Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private was 22.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
22.7%
Change on year
up 46.3%
World rank
16th
of 37 countries
All-time high
49.3%
in 2018
All-time low
15.5%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private in South Africa, 2005–2021

203040502005201320212005: 21.52010: 21.62014: 22.72016: 20.82018: 49.32019: 18.12020: 15.52021: 22.7

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private in South Africa stood at 22.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 46.3% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private in South Africa peaked at 49.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 16th out of 37 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private Transfers in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 21.5%
2010 21.6% +0.7%
2014 22.7% +4.9%
2016 20.8% -8.3%
2018 49.3% +136.7%
2019 18.1% -63.2%
2020 15.5% -14.7%
2021 22.7% +46.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.5% 21.5% 21.5% 1
2010s 26.5% 18.1% 49.3% 5
2020s 19.1% 15.5% 22.7% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Armenia 23.3% compare
  2. 14 Dominican Republic 22.9% compare
  3. 15 Georgia 22.9% compare
  4. 17 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 22.6% compare
  5. 18 Panama 22.5% compare
  6. 19 Türkiye 22.4% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private in South Africa?
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private in South Africa was 22.7% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 49.3% in 2018.
What is the lowest beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private?
South Africa ranks 16th out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
Is beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - all private rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. 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 Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private Transfers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/beneficiary-incidence-in-1st-quintile-poorest-percent-all-private-transfers/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Beneficiary incidence in 1st quintile (poorest) (%) - All Private Transfers
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
37 places, 362 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of program beneficiaries in a quintile relative to the total number of beneficiaries in the population