Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index in South Africa
South Africa: Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index was 0.476 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index in South Africa, 2012–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for inequality-adjusted human development index in South Africa is 0.476, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inequality-adjusted human development index in South Africa peaked at 0.477 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.446, in 2012.
South Africa ranks 113th of 163 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.4632 | 0.446 | 0.477 | 8 |
| 2020s | 0.471 | 0.465 | 0.476 | 4 |
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)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 17.8% (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)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.5993 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is inequality-adjusted human development index in South Africa?
- Inequality-adjusted human development index in South Africa was 0.476 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest inequality-adjusted human development index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.477 in 2019.
- What is the lowest inequality-adjusted human development index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.446 in 2012.
- How does South Africa rank for inequality-adjusted human development index?
- South Africa ranks 113th out of 163 countries with data for 2023.
- Is inequality-adjusted human development index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living, adjusted for inequalities in these dimensions. Higher values indicate higher and more equal human development.