Human capital composite index in South Africa

South Africa: Human capital composite index was 0.626 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024. β—† Volatile

Latest (2024)
0.626 standard deviations from the yearly mean
Change on year
down 7.5%
World rank
43rd
of 202 countries
All-time high
0.6988 standard deviations from the yearly mean
in 1994
All-time low
-0.0602 standard deviations from the yearly mean
in 2003
Years of data
34
1987–2024

Human capital composite index in South Africa, 1987–2024

00.20.40.61987200520241987: 0.065 standard deviations from the yearly mean1988: 0.035 standard deviations from the yearly mean1989: 0.536 standard deviations from the yearly mean1990: 0.666 standard deviations from the yearly mean1991: 0.655 standard deviations from the yearly mean1994: 0.699 standard deviations from the yearly mean1996: 0.656 standard deviations from the yearly mean1998: 0.609 standard deviations from the yearly mean1999: 0.45 standard deviations from the yearly mean2000: 0.221 standard deviations from the yearly mean2001: 0.041 standard deviations from the yearly mean2002: 0.007 standard deviations from the yearly mean2003: -0.06 standard deviations from the yearly mean2004: 0.073 standard deviations from the yearly mean2005: 0.028 standard deviations from the yearly mean2006: 0.107 standard deviations from the yearly mean2007: 0.246 standard deviations from the yearly mean2008: 0.09 standard deviations from the yearly mean2009: 0.285 standard deviations from the yearly mean2010: 0.381 standard deviations from the yearly mean2011: 0.458 standard deviations from the yearly mean2012: 0.544 standard deviations from the yearly mean2013: 0.364 standard deviations from the yearly mean2014: 0.59 standard deviations from the yearly mean2015: 0.671 standard deviations from the yearly mean2016: 0.484 standard deviations from the yearly mean2017: 0.531 standard deviations from the yearly mean2018: 0.455 standard deviations from the yearly mean2019: 0.579 standard deviations from the yearly mean2020: 0.484 standard deviations from the yearly mean2021: 0.612 standard deviations from the yearly mean2022: 0.628 standard deviations from the yearly mean2023: 0.677 standard deviations from the yearly mean2024: 0.626 standard deviations from the yearly mean

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in standard deviations from the yearly mean.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.626 standard deviations from the yearly mean for human capital composite index in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.5% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human capital composite index in South Africa peaked at 0.6988 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1994 and was at its lowest, -0.0602 standard deviations from the yearly mean, in 2003.

South Africa ranks 43rd of 202 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.2122 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.035 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.5364 standard deviations from the yearly mean 3
1990s 0.6224 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.4495 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.6988 standard deviations from the yearly mean 6
2000s 0.1037 standard deviations from the yearly mean -0.0602 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.2853 standard deviations from the yearly mean 10
2010s 0.5059 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.3639 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.671 standard deviations from the yearly mean 10
2020s 0.6052 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.4837 standard deviations from the yearly mean 0.6766 standard deviations from the yearly mean 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 40 Poland 0.6443 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
  2. 41 Tunisia 0.6417 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
  3. 42 Libya 0.6269 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
  4. 44 Peru 0.6184 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
  5. 45 Cyprus 0.6157 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare
  6. 46 United Kingdom 0.6013 standard deviations from the yearly mean compare

See the full ranking of 247 places β†’

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is human capital composite index in South Africa?
Human capital composite index in South Africa was 0.626 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest human capital composite index recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.6988 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 1994.
What is the lowest human capital composite index recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -0.0602 standard deviations from the yearly mean in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for human capital composite index?
South Africa ranks 43rd out of 202 countries with data for 2024.
Is human capital composite index rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Human capital composite index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human capital composite index in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/human-capital-composite-index/south-africa/

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How this figure is calculated

An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.

Equal-weighted mean of the standardised inputs below.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Human capital composite index
Unit
standard deviations from the yearly mean
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
247 places, 8,876 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

An equal-weighted index of 4 indicators: Literacy rate, adult total; School enrollment, primary; School enrollment, secondary; Government expenditure on education, total. Each is standardised against that year's spread across all reporting countries before averaging, so a score of 0 is the average country and +1 is one standard deviation above it.