Gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa

South Africa: Gini index of monthly earnings of employees was -1 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
-1
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
93rd
of 93 countries
All-time high
0.677
in 2015
All-time low
-1
in 2017
Years of data
16
2000–2020

Gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa, 2000–2020

-1-0.500.52000201020202000: 0.5572001: 0.5122002: 0.5182003: 0.5192004: 0.5152005: 0.5142006: 0.5162007: 0.5262010: 0.5662011: 0.5622012: 0.5912013: 0.662014: 0.6442015: 0.6772017: -12020: -1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa is -1, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

The figure is down 276.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa peaked at 0.677 in 2015 and was at its lowest, -1, in 2017.

South Africa ranks 93rd of 93 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gini index of monthly earnings of employees (15+) in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 0.557
2001 0.512 -8.1%
2002 0.518 +1.2%
2003 0.519 +0.2%
2004 0.515 -0.8%
2005 0.514 -0.2%
2006 0.516 +0.4%
2007 0.526 +1.9%
2010 0.566 +7.6%
2011 0.562 -0.7%
2012 0.591 +5.2%
2013 0.66 +11.7%
2014 0.644 -2.4%
2015 0.677 +5.1%
2017 -1 -247.7%
2020 -1 -0.0%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's -1 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3275. (28 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's -1 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.528. (17 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2017 -247.7% 0.677 -1

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.5221 0.512 0.557 8
2010s 0.3857 -1 0.677 7
2020s -1 -1 -1 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 90 Greece 0.213 compare
  2. 91 Romania 0.207 compare
  3. 92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.182 compare

See the full ranking of 93 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa?
Gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa was -1 in 2020, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest gini index of monthly earnings of employees recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.677 in 2015.
What is the lowest gini index of monthly earnings of employees recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -1 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for gini index of monthly earnings of employees?
South Africa ranks 93rd out of 93 countries with data for 2020.
Is gini index of monthly earnings of employees rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 276.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Gini index of monthly earnings of employees (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gini index of monthly earnings of employees in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/gini-index-of-monthly-earnings-of-employees-15/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Gini index of monthly earnings of employees (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
93 places, 1,587 data points, 1989–2026
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. The Gini index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of earnings among employees. It ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates perfect equality (all employees have the same earnings) and higher values indicate greater inequality. The index is calculated from the distribution of employees earnings. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.