Social Development in South Africa 165 indicators covering social development for South Africa. IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank Democracy Index 9 2018 unchanged 33rd Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin 2,575 2025 up 205.1% 93rd Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per capita 0 units per person 2025 up 167.3% 150th Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP 2025 up 147.6% 143rd Political Rights Score 34 2025 up 3.0% 60th Freedom Score 81 2025 up 2.5% 67th Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum 82,358 2025 down 92.5% 20th Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum, per capita 0.0013 units per person 2025 down 93.4% 39th Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP 2025 down 93.9% 39th Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, annual growth rate -47.52 % change on previous year 2025 down 180.6% 158th Full democracy 1 2025 unchanged 1st States involved in state-based conflicts 0 2025 — 36th Sovereign state 1 2025 unchanged 1st Distribution of Democracy Index 19 2018 unchanged 33rd Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum, annual growth rate -17.9 % change on previous year 2025 down 113.1% 117th Equal Rights Protection Index 0.74 2025 down 0.1% 60th Physical Integrity Rights Index 0.849 2025 up 0.5% 71st Political Corruption Index 0.538 2025 up 9.3% 86th Political Corruption Index vs. Electoral Democracy Index 0.538 2025 up 9.3% 86th Alcohol, recorded per capita (15+) consumption (in litres of pure) 3.96 2024 up 0.7% 26th Number of armed conflicts 0 conflicts 2025 — 34th Number of state-based conflicts 0 conflicts 2025 — 19th Countries where armed conflicts took place 1 2025 — 1st Asylum-seekers by country or territory of origin, per square kilometre 0.0034 units per square kilometre 2023 up 1,082.7% 152nd Asylum-seekers by country or territory of asylum, per square kilometre 0.0716 units per square kilometre 2023 down 63.4% 49th LGBT+ Rights Index 10.94 2019 up 10.1% 5th Forcibly displaced people 137,535 2025 down 88.7% 71st Terrorist attacks by severity 0 attacks 2021 — 1st Press freedom 1 2016 down 50.0% 61st Countries with accredited independent national human rights institutions 2 number 2025 unchanged 1st Age of electoral democracy 32 years 2025 up 45.5% 86th Full democracy lexical, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year 2025 — 1st Corruption Perceptions Index 41 2024 down 6.8% 81st Internally displaced people due to conflict 0 people 2024 — 38th Alcohol, total per capita (15+) consumption (in litres of pure) 8.63 2024 up 2.5% 53rd Alcohol, recorded per capita (15+) consumption (in litres of pure) 7.37 2024 up 3.4% 53rd Alcohol, unrecorded per capita (15+) consumption (in litres of pure) 1.28 2024 down 3.1% 20th Alcohol, tourist consumption (in litres of pure alcohol), three-year -0.0086 2024 up 45.6% 118th Self-reported life satisfaction 5.01 2025 up 12.3% 103rd Happiness vs. life satisfaction 5.01 2025 up 12.3% 103rd Alcohol, consumption of pure alcohol by type of beverage 52.0% 2024 down 5.9% 57th Homicide rate 43.72 homicides per 100,000 population 2022 up 45.0% 7th Homicides 27,272 homicides 2022 up 68.2% 4th Homicide rate, WHO vs. UNODC 43.72 homicides per 100,000 population 2022 up 45.0% 7th Homicide rate in 1990 vs. 2020 43.72 homicides per 100,000 population 2022 up 45.0% 7th Age of electoral democracy 31 years 2025 up 47.6% 59th States involved in interstate conflicts 0 2014 — 51st Citizen support for democracy -1.08 2020 down 47.4% 119th Homicides 5,668 deaths 2020 up 12.0% 8th Child homicide rate 2.09 deaths per 100,000 people 2020 down 28.1% 20th Citizen satisfaction with democracy -0.1883 2020 down 129.8% 72nd Homicide rate 9.56 deaths per 100,000 people 2020 down 3.2% 18th Homicide rate by age of the victim 9.56 deaths per 100,000 people 2020 down 3.2% 18th Share of countries with independent national human rights institutions 100.0% 2025 unchanged 1st Homicides 19,488 deaths 2021 up 3.3% 4th Homicide rate 32.81 deaths per 100,000 people 2021 down 8.8% 11th Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population 33.81 2021 down 5.7% 11th Number of current tobacco smokers, estimate 11.87 million 2030 up 19.5% 16th States involved in wars 0 2011 down 100.0% 5th Alcohol, total (recorded + unrecorded) per capita (15+) consumption 8.88 2030 up 18.6% 46th ← Previous Page 2 of 3 Next →