Human Rights Index vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Human Rights Index vs. GDP per capita was 0.857 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.857
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
54th
of 174 countries
All-time high
0.867
in 2010
All-time low
0.121
in 1980
Years of data
80
1946–2025
Human Rights Index vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 1946–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.857 for human rights index vs. gdp per capita in 2025.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, human rights index vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.867 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.121, in 1980.
South Africa ranks 54th of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Human Rights Index vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 0.292 | — |
| 1947 | 0.282 | -3.4% |
| 1948 | 0.195 | -30.9% |
| 1949 | 0.181 | -7.2% |
| 1950 | 0.174 | -3.9% |
| 1951 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1957 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 0.174 | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 0.148 | -14.9% |
| 1961 | 0.148 | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.142 | -4.1% |
| 1963 | 0.142 | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 0.137 | -3.5% |
| 1965 | 0.137 | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.137 | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.137 | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.137 | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.137 | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.136 | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 0.136 | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.136 | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 0.136 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 0.134 | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 0.134 | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.131 | -2.2% |
| 1977 | 0.126 | -3.8% |
| 1978 | 0.126 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 0.126 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.121 | -4.0% |
| 1981 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.121 | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.125 | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 0.126 | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 0.126 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.128 | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 0.135 | +5.5% |
| 1990 | 0.248 | +83.7% |
| 1991 | 0.291 | +17.3% |
| 1992 | 0.291 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.304 | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 0.584 | +92.1% |
| 1995 | 0.85 | +45.5% |
| 1996 | 0.859 | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.859 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.86 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 0.86 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.858 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 0.859 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 0.867 | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 0.866 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 0.861 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 0.859 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 0.857 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.867 | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 0.867 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0.843 | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 0.851 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 0.836 | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 0.826 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 0.838 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 0.828 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 0.85 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 0.867 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 0.857 | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0.2375 | 0.181 | 0.292 | 4 |
| 1950s | 0.174 | 0.174 | 0.174 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.1402 | 0.137 | 0.148 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1321 | 0.126 | 0.136 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1245 | 0.121 | 0.135 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6004 | 0.248 | 0.859 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8591 | 0.858 | 0.86 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8574 | 0.836 | 0.867 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8443 | 0.826 | 0.867 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 6.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6307 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 4,161 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 11.28 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), per capita 74,434 current LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5809 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is human rights index vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Human rights index vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 0.857 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest human rights index vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.867 in 2010.
- What is the lowest human rights index vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.121 in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for human rights index vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is human rights index vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Human Rights Index vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 80 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Central estimate of the extent to which people are free from government torture, political killings, and forced labor, they have property rights, and enjoy the freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.