Gini coefficient (before tax) in South Africa
South Africa: Gini coefficient (before tax) was 0.7465 in 2014. ▲ Rising
Gini coefficient (before tax) in South Africa, 1993–2014
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.7465 for gini coefficient (before tax) in 2014. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is up 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient (before tax) in South Africa peaked at 0.7465 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.5781, in 1993.
South Africa ranks 3rd of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5781 | 0.5781 | 0.5781 | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.6734 | 0.6481 | 0.6967 | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.728 | 0.7094 | 0.7465 | 2 |
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 (before tax) in South Africa?
- Gini coefficient (before tax) in South Africa was 0.7465 in 2014, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.7465 in 2014.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5781 in 1993.
- How does South Africa rank for gini coefficient (before tax)?
- South Africa ranks 3rd out of 113 countries with data for 2014.
- Is gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.