Fiscal incidence of social spending in South Africa, 2006

Servaas van der Berg ()

No 10/2009, Working Papers from Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper presents the findings of a study undertaken for the South African National Treasury regarding the expenditure incidence of social spending in South Africa in 2006, and also regarding changes in incidence in the period following democratisation. Concentration ratios and concentration curves show that there have been considerable shifts in social spending incidence in the period 1995 (the year after democracy) and 2006, the most recent observation. In particular, social spending grants have become a major tool of targeting resources to the poor. Although the poor now get considerably more of social spending than their population share, the very skew underlying income distribution means that the post-fiscal situation still is one with great inequality. Moreover, evidence is presented that spending efficiency for social spending is low, thus there is only a tenuous link between social spending and social outcomes. Thus great shifts in social spending have had a limited impact on poverty and inequality in South Africa.

Keywords: Fiscal incidence; Social spending; Poverty; Inequality; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 H50 I31 I32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-dev
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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