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Work & incomeSouth Africa

Median income in South Africa

How much does the typical person actually live on?

South Africa's median income is $5,399 PPP — #42 of 42 countries on the atlas (higher is better). Period 2017.

$5,399PPP

Checked 9 Sept 2026Period 2017

Source: OECD Income Distribution Database

Among 42 countries

1 of 42 countries between $5,399 PPP and $7,440 PPP2 of 42 countries between $7,440 PPP and $9,480 PPP1 of 42 countries between $11,521 PPP and $13,562 PPP2 of 42 countries between $13,562 PPP and $15,603 PPP1 of 42 countries between $15,603 PPP and $17,643 PPP1 of 42 countries between $19,684 PPP and $21,725 PPP5 of 42 countries between $21,725 PPP and $23,765 PPP2 of 42 countries between $23,765 PPP and $25,806 PPP1 of 42 countries between $25,806 PPP and $27,847 PPP2 of 42 countries between $27,847 PPP and $29,888 PPP1 of 42 countries between $29,888 PPP and $31,928 PPP2 of 42 countries between $31,928 PPP and $33,969 PPP1 of 42 countries between $33,969 PPP and $36,010 PPP3 of 42 countries between $36,010 PPP and $38,050 PPP4 of 42 countries between $38,050 PPP and $40,091 PPP1 of 42 countries between $40,091 PPP and $42,132 PPP3 of 42 countries between $42,132 PPP and $44,173 PPP3 of 42 countries between $44,173 PPP and $46,213 PPP1 of 42 countries between $46,213 PPP and $48,254 PPP1 of 42 countries between $48,254 PPP and $50,295 PPP2 of 42 countries between $50,295 PPP and $52,336 PPP2 of 42 countries between $52,336 PPP and $54,376 PPPmedian $33,830 PPPSouth Africa: ahead of 0 % of the 42 countries with a published median incomeSouth Africa $5,399 PPP$5,399 PPP$54,376 PPP
Half of all 42 countries sit between $23,107 PPP and $42,543 PPP. South Africa is ahead of 0 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 1 value beyond it sits in the end bars.
Rank
#42 of 42
higher is better
Ranked behind
0 %
0 of 42 countries

vs median $34,483 PPP: −84 % (worse)

The neighbourhood

#CountryMedian incomevs South Africa
38 Chile$13,797 PPP+$8,398 PPP
39 Turkey$12,897 PPP+$7,498 PPP
40 Brazil$8,989 PPP+$3,590 PPP
41 Mexico$8,381 PPP+$2,982 PPP
42 South Africa$5,399 PPP—

Median disposable income after tax and transfers, USD PPP (OECD) — equivalised, so it is the income of a single-person household with the same living standard, not a family’s total.

How to read this figure

Median equivalised disposable income (OECD IDD): income left after taxes and transfers, converted at purchasing power parity. Equivalised means divided down by household size, so it expresses the standard of living of a single-person household — a couple with two children reaching the same standard actually takes in about twice this figure. The median resists the distortion billionaires cause in averages, which makes it the better "how is the typical person doing" number and the denominator for affordability maths.

Next, about South Africa

Price level
Median income, all countries ranked →Compare South Africa with another country →Everything about South Africa →
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