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🇿🇦 South Africa

Republic of South Africa

ZAF ZA R South African rand (ZAR)

Every statistic we track for South Africa — 126 indicators, each with its latest value and world rank. Open the interactive profile →

GDP per capita (PPP)

$16,740

#113 of 191

Life expectancy

60.4 yrs

#164 of 188

Happiness score

5.01

#101 of 147

Liberal democracy

0.63

#39 of 179

All indicators

📈 Economy

Account Ownership 81.1% #60/139 2024
Bank Account Ownership 81.1% #59/139 2024
Bank Branches 8 #106/153 2024
Big Mac Price 3.4 #44/53 2026
Credit to Households (BIS) 33.5% #32/43 2025
Credit to Private Non-financial Sector (BIS) 66.6% #37/43 2025
Currency Valuation vs USD (Big Mac) -45.1% #44/53 2026
Current Account Balance -0.9% #78/190 2026
Debit Card Ownership 59.8% #64/140 2024
Digital Payments Usage 67.2% #26/97 2024
Exchange Rate (per US$) 18.3 #84/197 2024
Extreme Poverty 0% #204/237 2023
Fiscal Balance -4.9% #143/189 2026
Forbes Global 2000 Companies 12 #24/55 2023
GDP (current US$) 480 #40/190 2026
GDP (PPP) 1,070.8 #33/191 2026
GDP per Capita 7,503 #107/190 2026
GDP per Capita (Long Run) 11,416 #90/165 2022
GDP per Capita (PPP) 16,740 #113/191 2026
GDP per Capita Growth 1.7% #136/184 2019
Government Debt 78.9% #39/185 2026
Income per Person 10,850 #82/183 2018
Income per Person 10,850 #82/183 2018
Inflation (CPI) 3.9% #83/191 2026
Labour Productivity (GDP per hour) (PWT) 19.4 #74/130 2023
Listed Companies 220 #28/70 2024
Made a Digital Payment 43.1% #68/144 2017
Mobile Money Account 31.6% #41/80 2024
Real GDP Growth 1% #166/191 2026
Share of World GDP (PPP) 0.5% #34/191 2026
Stock Market Capitalisation 245.7% #2/70 2024
Stocks Traded 47.9% #12/69 2024
Total GDP (Long Run) 723,559,323,969 #34/165 2022
Unemployment Rate 32.5% #2/103 2026

👥 Demographics

Fertility Rate (WB) 2.2 #94/217 2024
Median Age 28.9 #145/235 2026
Population 51 #24/229 2013
Population 64 #24/191 2026
Population Density 53.6 #163/235 2026
Refugees by Country of Origin 1,319 #101/195 2025
Urban Population 63.7% #109/213 2024

🌐 Connectivity

Access to Electricity 87.7% #162/214 2023
Internet Users 78.4% #102/182 2024
Mobile Subscriptions 160.7 #20/209 2022
Read News Online 45.2% #35/75 2024

🫀 Health

Adult Obesity 31.1% #49/199 2022
Alcohol Consumption per Capita 8.5 #57/207 2022
Child Mortality (under-5) 3.5 #53/199 2024
Health Spending (QoG) 8.8% #50/189 2022
Hypertension Prevalence 44.1% #37/194 2019
Infant Mortality (QoG) 24.4 #58/191 2023
Life Expectancy 60.4 #164/188 2013
Life Expectancy 64.3 #162/186 2020
Suicide Rate 21.1 #8/185 2021
Tobacco Use Prevalence 23.5% #63/167 2022
Undernourishment 10% #55/166 2023
Universal Health Coverage Index 74 #91/195 2023

🎓 Education

Education Spending (QoG) 6.1% #12/112 2023
Mean Years of Schooling 10.5 #57/146 2020

🌱 Environment

CO₂ per Capita (WB) 6.9 #36/203 2024
Energy Use per Person 1,939 #58/149 2023
Renewable Electricity 12.5% #142/195 2024

🏛️ Governance

Civil Liberties (V-Dem) 0.9 #54/179 2025
Clean Elections (V-Dem) 0.8 #51/179 2025
Control of Corruption (QoG) -0.2 #91/192 2024
Corruption Perceptions Index 41 #84/179 2024
Corruption Perceptions Index (QoG) 41 #82/177 2024
Deliberative Democracy (V-Dem) 0.7 #35/179 2025
Egalitarian Democracy (V-Dem) 0.5 #49/179 2025
Electoral Democracy (V-Dem) 0.7 #42/179 2025
Freedom House Status (QoG) 1 #182/193 2024
Freedom in the World Score 79 #71/196 2024
Freedom of Expression (V-Dem) 0.8 #51/179 2025
Gender Equality (V-Dem) 0.8 #59/179 2025
Government Effectiveness (QoG) -0.2 #113/192 2024
Judicial Constraints on Executive (V-Dem) 0.9 #31/179 2025
Liberal Democracy (V-Dem) 0.6 #39/179 2025
Military Spending 0.7% #128/150 2025
Participatory Democracy (V-Dem) 0.5 #45/179 2025
Perceived Democracy (Afrobarometer) 36.3% #30/39 2023
Political Corruption (V-Dem) 0.5 #87/179 2025
Press Freedom (RSF) (QoG) 73.7 #38/173 2024
Rule of Law (V-Dem) 0.7 #69/179 2025
Support for Democracy (Afrobarometer) 44.9% #38/39 2023
Trust in the President (Afrobarometer) 27.6% #31/39 2023
Voice & Accountability (QoG) 0.6 #54/192 2024

📰 Media & news

News Avoidance (Digital News Report) 42% #24/48 2026
Press Freedom Index 78 #21/177 2026
Social Media as News Source (Digital News Report) 74% #3/48 2026
Trust in News (Digital News Report) 50% #9/48 2026
Trust in the News Media (ISSP) 45.2% #10/28 2020

🛡️ Safety

Homicide Rate 32.5 #9/204 2023
Road Traffic Deaths 24.5 #20/195 2021

⚠️ Risk & resilience

Climate Seen as a Threat 85.8% #75/142 2023
Confident Can Protect Family 23.4% #123/142 2023
Disaster Exposure (WRI) 3.1 #56/193 2025
Experienced a Disaster 29.5% #56/142 2023
Experienced Discrimination (Skin Colour) 16.2% #14/139 2023
INFORM Risk Index 5.1 #58/191 2025
Resilience to Risk (WRP) 47.2 #104/141 2023
World Risk Index 9.5 #58/193 2025
Worry About Violent Crime 85.6% #11/142 2023

😊 Wellbeing

Happiness (Cantril Ladder) 5 #101/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Freedom 0.8 #103/146 2025
Happiness Driver: GDP 1.5 #87/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Generosity 0.1 #110/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Healthy Life Expectancy 0.1 #141/146 2025
Happiness Driver: Low Corruption 0.1 #120/147 2025
Happiness Driver: Social Support 1.3 #77/147 2025
Human Development Index 0.7 #106/193 2023

🧭 Attitudes & values

Attended a Demonstration 15.5% #33/151 2017
Believe Vaccines Are Effective 79.9% #89/143 2018
Believe Vaccines Are Safe 82.3% #55/143 2018
Individualism 65 #17/65 2010
Interpersonal Trust (ISSP) 20.6% #24/27 2020
Masculinity 63 #18/65 2010
Power Distance 49 #44/65 2010
Signed a Petition 14.6% #66/121 2017
Trade Union Membership 9.3% #70/120 2017
Trust in government 5.5 #23/123 2017
Trust in parliament 5.2 #48/151 2017
Trust in political parties 4.8 #15/120 2017
Trust in Science 52.1% #131/143 2018
Trust in Scientists 51.1% #117/143 2018
Trust in the legal system 5.5 #52/153 2017
Uncertainty Avoidance 49 #50/65 2010

Latest available period per indicator; rank is the country's position among all countries with data. Sources are credited on each indicator page.