Gross national income (GNI) per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Gross national income (GNI) per capita was 13,036 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
13,036 international-$ in 2021 prices
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
93rd
of 157 countries
All-time high
13,632 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2017
All-time low
8,732 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 1993
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Gross national income (GNI) per capita in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 13,036 international-$ in 2021 prices for gross national income (gni) per capita in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross national income (gni) per capita in South Africa peaked at 13,632 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2017 and was at its lowest, 8,732 international-$ in 2021 prices, in 1993.
That places South Africa 93rd out of 157 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Gross national income (GNI) per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9,429 international-$ in 2021 prices | — |
| 1991 | 9,143 international-$ in 2021 prices | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 8,780 international-$ in 2021 prices | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 8,732 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 8,884 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 8,962 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 9,310 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.9% |
| 1997 | 9,413 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 9,309 international-$ in 2021 prices | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 9,333 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 9,579 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 9,736 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 10,117 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 10,338 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 10,825 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 11,319 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 11,966 international-$ in 2021 prices | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 12,406 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 12,765 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 12,729 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 13,158 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 13,596 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 13,524 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 13,581 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 13,467 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 13,459 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 13,445 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 13,632 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 13,547 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 13,541 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 12,841 international-$ in 2021 prices | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 13,421 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 13,279 international-$ in 2021 prices | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 13,107 international-$ in 2021 prices | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 12,918 international-$ in 2021 prices | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 13,036 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9,129 international-$ in 2021 prices | 8,732 international-$ in 2021 prices | 9,429 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2000s | 11,178 international-$ in 2021 prices | 9,579 international-$ in 2021 prices | 12,765 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2010s | 13,495 international-$ in 2021 prices | 13,158 international-$ in 2021 prices | 13,632 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,100 international-$ in 2021 prices | 12,841 international-$ in 2021 prices | 13,421 international-$ in 2021 prices | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 90 Ecuador 14,256 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 91 Tunisia 13,250 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 92 Guatemala 13,248 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 94 Libya 12,668 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 95 Philippines 12,312 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 96 Belize 12,098 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross national income (gni) per capita in South Africa?
- Gross national income (gni) per capita in South Africa was 13,036 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025, according to Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gross national income (gni) per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13,632 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2017.
- What is the lowest gross national income (gni) per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,732 international-$ in 2021 prices in 1993.
- How does South Africa rank for gross national income (gni) per capita?
- South Africa ranks 93rd out of 157 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gross national income (gni) per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gross national income (GNI) per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average income per person earned by residents of a country or region, including income earned abroad. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.