Red List Index in South Africa
South Africa: Red List Index was 0.8693 index in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
0.8693 index
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
110th
of 261 countries
All-time high
0.9171 index
in 1980
All-time low
0.8693 index
in 2025
Years of data
46
1980–2025
Red List Index in South Africa, 1980–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in index.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.8693 index for red list index in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 46 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, red list index in South Africa peaked at 0.9171 index in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.8693 index, in 2025.
That places South Africa 110th out of 261 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Red List Index in South Africa, year by year
| Year | index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0.9171 index | — |
| 1981 | 0.9169 index | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.9166 index | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.9163 index | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.9161 index | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.9158 index | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.9154 index | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.9152 index | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.9149 index | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.9145 index | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.9143 index | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.914 index | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.9137 index | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.9134 index | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.9131 index | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.9129 index | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.9126 index | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.9124 index | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.9122 index | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.9121 index | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.912 index | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.9118 index | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.9117 index | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.9116 index | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.9114 index | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.9113 index | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.9112 index | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.9108 index | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.9101 index | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9085 index | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.9062 index | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.9039 index | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.9009 index | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.8982 index | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 0.896 index | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.8937 index | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.8911 index | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 0.8893 index | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.8861 index | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 0.8841 index | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.8824 index | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 0.8796 index | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 0.8771 index | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 0.8743 index | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 0.8715 index | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 0.8693 index | -0.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.8693 index is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.8248 index, 1.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.8693 index is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.9225 index, 94% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.9159 index | 0.9145 index | 0.9171 index | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9131 index | 0.9121 index | 0.9143 index | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.911 index | 0.9085 index | 0.912 index | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.895 index | 0.8841 index | 0.9062 index | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8757 index | 0.8693 index | 0.8824 index | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 108 Syrian Arab Republic 0.8706 index compare
- 108 Syria 0.8706 index compare
- 111 United Arab Emirates 0.8677 index compare
- 112 Papua New Guinea 0.8663 index compare
- 113 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 0.8658 index compare
More development goals data for South Africa
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 1.8 per 100,000 people (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 651.49 constant US$ (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 105 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 101 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 33 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 40 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 56 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 61 (2025)
- Infant deaths 28,570 (2024)
- Neonatal deaths 14,715 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is red list index in South Africa?
- Red list index in South Africa was 0.8693 index in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest red list index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9171 index in 1980.
- What is the lowest red list index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8693 index in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for red list index?
- South Africa ranks 110th out of 261 countries with data for 2025.
- Is red list index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Red List Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).