Country profile
South Africa
South Africa ranks #24 of 215 for population, #125 of 209 for gdp per capita, #182 of 216 for life expectancy, across 25 open-data indicators.
People
Population
64M
people · 2024
Rank #24 of 215
Life expectancy
66.3
years · 2024
Rank #182 of 216
Poverty headcount
17.4%
% of population · 2022
Rank #51 of 186
Under-5 mortality
35.1
per 1,000 live births · 2024
Rank #73 of 244
Secondary school enrollment
71.9%
% net enrollment · 2017
Rank #125 of 232
Tobacco use
20.7%
% of adults · 2022
Rank #73 of 163
Calorie supply
2,694
kcal per person per day · 2023
Rank #132 of 189
Prosperity
Tourism arrivals
3,886,600
arrivals · 2020
Rank #45 of 203
GDP per capita
$6,267
current US$ · 2024
Rank #125 of 209
Inflation, consumer prices
4.36
annual % growth · 2024
Rank #65 of 195
Planet
Consumer Price Indices
163
index (2015=100) · 2025
Rank #61 of 210
Forest area
14%
% of land area · 2023
Rank #190 of 262
PM2.5 air pollution
23.8
micrograms per cubic meter · 2020
Rank #113 of 248
Protected areas
12.9%
% of territorial area · 2025
Rank #122 of 261
CO2 emissions per capita
6.87
tonnes per person · 2024
Rank #42 of 210
Fertilizer use
67.2
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #93 of 194
Pesticide use
3.39
kg per hectare · 2023
Rank #75 of 193
Cereal yield
4.56
tonnes per hectare · 2024
Rank #53 of 182
Digital
Internet users
78.4%
% of population · 2024
Rank #113 of 213
Fixed broadband subscriptions
5.35
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #168 of 256
Mobile cellular subscriptions
179
per 100 people · 2024
Rank #11 of 262
Energy
Access to electricity
87.7%
% of population · 2023
Rank #163 of 215
Renewable electricity output
6.45%
% of electricity output · 2021
Rank #203 of 257
Energy use per person
21,287
kWh per person · 2024
Rank #81 of 210
Society
Electoral democracy index
0.74
index (0-1) · 2025
Rank #40 of 174
Countries ranked nearby
Sources and methodology
Each value is the latest available observation for South Africa; years differ by indicator. Ranks compare countries and territories with data, so totals vary. Read about our methods.
- World Bank Open Data: Tourism arrivals
- World Bank Open Data: Population
- World Bank Open Data: GDP per capita
- World Bank Open Data: Access to electricity
- World Bank Open Data: Internet users
- World Bank Open Data: Life expectancy
- World Bank Data360 / FAOSTAT: Consumer Price Indices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Forest area
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: PM2.5 air pollution
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Renewable electricity output
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Protected areas
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Fixed broadband subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Mobile cellular subscriptions
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Inflation, consumer prices
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Poverty headcount
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Under-5 mortality
- World Bank Data360 / WDI: Secondary school enrollment
- Our World in Data: CO2 emissions per capita
- Our World in Data: Energy use per person
- Our World in Data: Electoral democracy index
- Our World in Data: Tobacco use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Fertilizer use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Pesticide use
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Calorie supply
- FAOSTAT via Our World in Data: Cereal yield