Gini coefficient in South Africa
South Africa: Gini coefficient was 0.5405 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Gini coefficient in South Africa, 1993–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gini coefficient in South Africa is 0.5405, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient in South Africa peaked at 0.65 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.5405, in 2022.
That places South Africa 3rd out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5933 | 0.5933 | 0.5933 | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.6176 | 0.5777 | 0.65 | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.6026 | 0.5964 | 0.6087 | 2 |
| 2020s | 0.5405 | 0.5405 | 0.5405 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More poverty & inequality data for South Africa
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,562 kg per hectare (2024)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 28.1% (2022)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.388 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1656 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1656 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.192 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 17.8% (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.5993 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini coefficient in South Africa?
- Gini coefficient in South Africa was 0.5405 in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.65 in 2005.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5405 in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for gini coefficient?
- South Africa ranks 3rd out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gini coefficient rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality.