Ireland vs South Africa: Insurance indicators — Penetration

Ireland
11.69 Percentage of GDP
in 2024
South Africa
12.66 Percentage of GDP
in 2023
Ireland rank
7th
South Africa rank
4th

Insurance indicators — Penetration over time

  • Ireland
  • South Africa
510152025198320032024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 12.66 Percentage of GDP against 11.69 Percentage of GDP in Ireland, a difference of 0.97 Percentage of GDP.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2010 it was Ireland ahead.

Ireland ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 4th of 52 countries.

Across the 2 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ireland South Africa Difference Ahead
2010s 18.21 Percentage of GDP 12.79 Percentage of GDP 5.42 Percentage of GDP Ireland
2020s 10.68 Percentage of GDP 11.13 Percentage of GDP 0.4535 Percentage of GDP South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher insurance indicators — penetration, Ireland or South Africa?
South Africa, at 12.66 Percentage of GDP against 11.69 Percentage of GDP in Ireland as of 2023.
What is the difference in insurance indicators — penetration between Ireland and South Africa?
0.97 Percentage of GDP, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2023.
How do Ireland and South Africa rank globally for insurance indicators — penetration?
Ireland ranks 7th and South Africa ranks 4th of 52 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as Insurance indicators — Penetration. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ireland vs South Africa: Insurance indicators — Penetration. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/insurance-indicators-penetration/ireland/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Insurance indicators — Penetration
Unit
Percentage of GDP
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
62 places, 1,565 data points, 1983–2024
Last refreshed

This dataset includes key indicators on the insurance industry, such as insurance penetration (gross written premiums as a percentage of GDP), insurance density (gross written premiums in USD per capita), the share of life and non-life insurance in the total insurance business (life and non-life gross written premiums as a percentage of gross premiums), the retention ratio (net written premiums as a percentage of gross premiums) and the reinsurance share (reinsurance accepted as a percentage of gross premiums). This dataset also shows the domestic market share of foreign-controlled undertakings and branches/agencies in each reporting jurisdiction, and the geographical distribution of premiums written within the OECD.