Human Development Index in South Africa
South Africa: Human Development Index was 0.741 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Human Development Index in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, human development index in South Africa stood at 0.741.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human development index in South Africa peaked at 0.742 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 0.61, in 2003.
South Africa ranks 106th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.6428 | 0.626 | 0.654 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6238 | 0.61 | 0.657 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.711 | 0.669 | 0.742 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7308 | 0.721 | 0.741 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 103 Saint Lucia 0.748 compare
- 104 Mongolia 0.747 compare
- 105 Tunisia 0.746 compare
- 107 Uzbekistan 0.74 compare
- 108 Bolivia 0.733 compare
- 108 Gabon 0.733 compare
- 108 Marshall Islands 0.733 compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.0792 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 57.27 0-100 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 0.0177 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 0.6073 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 67.48 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 55.35 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate -0.6171 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human development index in South Africa?
- Human development index in South Africa was 0.741 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human development index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.742 in 2019.
- What is the lowest human development index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.61 in 2003.
- How does South Africa rank for human development index?
- South Africa ranks 106th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is human development index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. 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 Human Development Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.