ZAF
Data file updated Jun 27, 2026
South Africa
Country profile covering economy, demographics, military, quality-of-life signals, and historical trends.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial)
- Currency
- South African Rand (ZAR)
- Language
- 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Zulu
- Government
- Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic
- Internet Users
- 68.2%
- Unemployment
- 32.6%
- Smoking (15+)
- 17.2%
Population
59.31M
GDP
$419.9B
GDP per Capita
$7,080
Area
1.22M km²
Life Expectancy
64.9 years
HDI
0.7
Economy
5 metrics| GDP (USD) | $419.9B |
|---|---|
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $7,080 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 32.6% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 63.0 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) |
Trade (Import/Export)
3 metrics| Exports | $127.5B |
|---|---|
| Imports | $119.8B |
| Trade Balance | $7.8B |
Gold Reserves
1 metrics| Gold Reserves | 125.4 tonnes |
|---|
Society & Demographics
4 metrics| Life Expectancy (years) | 64.9 |
|---|---|
| Literacy Rate (%) | 87.0% |
| Internet Users (%) | 68.2% |
| Human Development Index | 0.7 |
Military Strength
9 metrics| Active Personnel | 74,000 |
|---|---|
| Reserve Personnel | 15,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 89,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $3.5B |
| Tanks | 195 |
| Armored Vehicles | 2,265 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 43 |
| Towed Artillery | 97 |
| Rocket Projectors | 50 |
Air Force
7 metrics| Total Aircraft | 226 |
|---|---|
| Fighters | 17 |
| Attack Aircraft | 23 |
| Transport Aircraft | 106 |
| Trainer Aircraft | 67 |
| Helicopters | 91 |
| Attack Helicopters | 12 |
Education
4 metrics| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 6.2% |
|---|---|
| Universities | 26 |
| Primary Enrollment (%) | 98.8% |
| Secondary Enrollment (%) | 86.3% |
Healthcare
5 metrics| Healthcare Expenditure (% of GDP) | 8.3% |
|---|---|
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.9 |
| Hospital Beds per 1,000 people | 2.3 |
| Life Expectancy (Male) | 61.9 |
| Life Expectancy (Female) | 68.2 |
Cost of Living
12 metrics| Cost of Living Index | 40.2 |
|---|---|
| Rent Index | 15.5 |
| Groceries Index | 35.0 |
| Restaurant Price Index | 38.5 |
| Local Purchasing Power | 45.0 |
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $30 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $350 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $80 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $45 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $35 |
Historical Data
Olympic Medals
20 Games years
28
Gold
37
Silver
32
Bronze
97
Total Medals (All-Time)
☀ Summer: 97
❄ Winter: 0
Medals by Games Year
Source: Official IOC medal counts via Wikipedia per-Games medal tables (Summer 1896–2024, Winter 1924–2026)
Summer Olympics
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 2020 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 2012 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2008 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 2000 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 1996 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 1992 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1960 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1956 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 1952 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 1948 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1936 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1932 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 1928 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1924 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1920 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 1912 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 1908 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Compare South Africa
Religious Composition
- Christian 86.0%
- Traditional African 5.4%
- None 5.2%
- Muslim 1.9%
- Hindu 1.0%
- Other 0.6%
Beverages per Person
- Coffee 0.7 kg/yr
- Tea 0.5 kg/yr
- Beer 60.1 L/yr
- Wine 7.0 L/yr
- Alcohol 8.6 L pure/yr
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol (WHO)
Age Demographics
28.1
Median Age