Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural in South Africa

South Africa: Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural was 2.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
2.0%
Change on year
up 52.9%
World rank
31st
of 33 countries
All-time high
3.7%
in 2016
All-time low
1.3%
in 2020
Years of data
8
2005–2021

Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural in South Africa, 2005–2021

012342005201320212005: 1.92010: 1.92014: 2.12016: 3.72018: 2.82019: 2.32020: 1.32021: 2

Source: ASPIRE.

Analysis

In 2021, coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural in South Africa stood at 2.0%.

That represents a change of up 52.9% on the previous year and up 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural in South Africa peaked at 3.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 31st out of 33 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural in South Africa, 2005 to 2021.
Year Value Change
2005 1.9% —
2010 1.9% -2.2%
2014 2.1% +13.6%
2016 3.7% +74.4%
2018 2.8% -24.5%
2019 2.3% -19.3%
2020 1.3% -42.3%
2021 2.0% +52.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 2.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.8%, 23% of the median. (21 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 1
2010s 2.6% 1.9% 3.7% 5
2020s 1.7% 1.3% 2.0% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 28 Dominican Republic 3.4% compare
  2. 29 Thailand 2.7% compare
  3. 30 Bolivia 2.3% compare
  4. 32 Peru 1.9% compare
  5. 33 Cote d'Ivoire 0.9% compare

See the full ranking of 33 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural in South Africa?
Coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural in South Africa was 2.0% in 2021, according to ASPIRE.
What is the highest coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2016.
What is the lowest coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural?
South Africa ranks 31st out of 33 countries with data for 2021.
Is coverage (%) - contributory pensions -rural rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. 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 Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ASPIRE. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/coverage-percent-contributory-pensions-rural/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Coverage (%) - Contributory Pensions -rural
Source
ASPIRE
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
33 places, 308 data points, 2002–2023
Last refreshed

Percentage of population participating in Contributory Pensions programs (includes direct and indirect beneficiaries)