South Africa
Life expectancy 66.3 years (2024); GDP per person $13,598 in constant-2021 PPP dollars (2024). These are captured source observations, not a measure of household wealth. Dates can differ across indicators.
A first view of health, purchasing power, and essential services. These are observed source indicators; The experimental rankings provide a separate, explicitly weighted comparison where all inputs are available.
Ranking summary · 2023
Equal-domain rank 108 / 170 · Overall 39.8 · Rank across three weightings 108–118
Health: 17.8 · Essential services: 34.3 · Material resources: 45.6 · Civic voice: 72.2 · Air quality: 29.0
Experimental cohort percentile scores. Compare this economy and inspect the method.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Observation period | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | 66.31 | years | 2024 | World Bank |
| GDP per person | $13,598 | 2021 international $ | 2024 | World Bank |
| Electricity access | 90.20 | % of population | 2024 | World Bank |
| Basic drinking water | 90.19 | % of population | 2024 | World Bank |
| Basic sanitation | 77.39 | % of population | 2024 | World Bank |
| Clean cooking access | 90.00 | % of population | 2024 | World Bank |
| Food insecurity | 20.90 | % of population | 2024 | World Bank |
| Poverty at $3/day | 17.40 | % of population | 2022 | World Bank |
| Income / consumption Gini | 54.10 | index, 0–100 | 2022 | World Bank |
| Bottom 20% resource share | 3.70 | % of income or consumption | 2022 | World Bank |
| Under-five mortality | 35.10 | deaths per 1,000 live births | 2024 | World Bank |
| Maternal mortality | 118.00 | deaths per 100,000 live births | 2023 | World Bank |
| Child stunting | 21.30 | % of children under five | 2017 | World Bank |
| Out-of-pocket health spending | 6.69 | % of current health expenditure | 2023 | World Bank |
| Unemployment | 32.39 | % of labor force | 2025 | World Bank |
| Youth outside work and education | 34.61 | % of youth | 2024 | World Bank |
| Internet use | 78.36 | % of population | 2024 | World Bank |
| PM2.5 exposure | 27.72 | micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | World Bank |
| Forest area | 18.79 | % of land area | 2024 | World Bank |
| Freshwater stress | 67.60 | % of available freshwater resources | 2022 | World Bank |
| Adjusted net savings | -2.54 | % of GNI | 2020 | World Bank |
| Voice and accountability | 70.22 | absolute score, 0–100 | 2025 | World Bank |
| Rule of law | 59.30 | absolute score, 0–100 | 2025 | World Bank |
| Government effectiveness | 51.87 | absolute score, 0–100 | 2025 | World Bank |
| Control of corruption | 45.35 | absolute score, 0–100 | 2025 | World Bank |
| Political stability | 58.92 | absolute score, 0–100 | 2025 | World Bank |
| Regulatory quality | 54.32 | absolute score, 0–100 | 2025 | World Bank |
| Tax revenue | 25.88 | % of GDP | 2024 | World Bank |
| Income, profit and capital-gains tax share | 50.84 | % of revenue | 2024 | World Bank |
| Goods and services tax share | 32.09 | % of revenue | 2024 | World Bank |
| International trade tax share | 3.60 | % of revenue | 2024 | World Bank |
| Government health spending | 5.49 | % of GDP | 2023 | World Bank |
| Government education spending | 6.02 | % of GDP | 2024 | World Bank |
| Intentional homicide | 43.72 | deaths per 100,000 people | 2022 | World Bank |
| Consumer price inflation | 3.21 | annual % | 2025 | World Bank |
| Tax wedge: Single, no children · 67% average wage | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Single, no children · average wage | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Single, no children · 167% average wage | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Single parent, 2 children · 67% average wage | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Couple, 2 children · one average-wage earner | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Couple, 2 children · 100% + 67% average wages | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Couple, 2 children · two average-wage earners | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Tax wedge: Couple, no children · 100% + 67% average wages | Unavailable | % of employer labour cost | — | OECD |
| Weekly work hours: All employed people | 41.06 | hours per employed person | 2025 | ILO |
| Weekly work hours: Women in employment | 38.89 | hours per employed person | 2025 | ILO |
| Weekly work hours: Men in employment | 42.87 | hours per employed person | 2025 | ILO |
| Life evaluation (3-year mean) | 5.01 | Cantril ladder, 0–10 | 2023–2025 | World Happiness Report |
How to read this profile
GDP per person is measured in constant 2021 international dollars using purchasing power parity. It measures economic output, not household income or wealth. Life expectancy is period life expectancy at birth, not healthy life expectancy. Service access percentages are national averages and do not establish service reliability or equal access.
Missing values remain unavailable. Comparable years may have different underlying survey dates; source estimates can be revised.
Explore this place
Households · Money and time · Ranking robustness · Within countries · Passport opportunities · Change over time · Similar resources · Hidden hardship · Evidence and uncertainty
Open South Africa in the interactive atlas ↗
Cite this profile
Pluraterra. “South Africa: country field notes.” Atlas prototype, snapshot retrieved November 1–2, 2026; observation periods shown per row. Underlying data: World Bank World Development Indicators. This page is a mutable preview; use the accompanying CSV for the captured data.