THE LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX™ 2023

Advancing the understanding of what drives success in nations

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Azerbaijan (92nd) is the least prosperous country in Eastern Europe. Alongside weak Governance and Natural Environment, it performs particularly poorly for Personal Freedom. It ranks 153rd for Freedom of Assembly and Association and 158th for Freedom of Speech and Access to Information, both of which have deteriorated over the past decade.

South Africa

Ranked 75^th of 167

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Ranks

75 th on the Legatum
Prosperity Index™

Safety & Security 136th

Personal Freedom 38th

Governance 49th

Social Capital 40th

Investment Environment 48th

Enterprise Conditions 63rd

Infrastructure & Market Access 68th

Economic Quality 74th

Living Conditions 102nd

Health 129th

Education 102nd

Natural Environment 140th

OVERALL PROSPERITY

South Africa is 75th in the overall Prosperity Index rankings. Since 2011, South Africa has moved down the rankings table by 6 places.

PILLAR RANKINGS

South Africa performs most strongly in Personal Freedom and Social Capital but is weakest in Natural Environment. The biggest improvement compared to a decade ago came in Social Capital.

Visit our Rankings table to see how South Africa compares to other countries.

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How to read this graph:
When comparing multiple countries on a spider chart, data points that appear
further away from the center represent a better performance to the points that are closer to the center.

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Spotlights

The principles of prosperity at a moment of global crisis

16 November, 2020

If this time is about anything, it is for each nation to decide its character and who it wants to be. The decisions we make now will create the foundation for our nations…

North America
Asia-Pacific
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Latin America and the Caribbean
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Sub-Saharan Africa
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Spotlights

Country Profile

Ghana (Ranked 98th)

31 August, 2016

Ghana breaks with its regional peers in presenting a much more positive picture overall, particularly in terms of good performance in Governance and Personal Freedom, both of…

Commonwealth
Africa

Country Profile

Rwanda (Ranked 111th)

31 August, 2016

Rwanda is a country that has grown more prosperous over the past decade, with notable improvements in many pillars that have marked the country’s recovery from the bloodshed…

Africa

Country Profile

Kenya (Ranked 108th)

31 August, 2016

As with other Commonwealth nations, Kenya does well on the core foundations of prosperity, with a strong society, relatively free and competitive markets, and good governance.…