South Africa: Economic freedom, overall index

The latest value from 2025 is 57 index points, an increase from 55 index points in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 60 index points, based on data from 174 countries. Historically, the average for South Africa from 1995 to 2025 is 62 index points. The minimum value, 55 index points, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 67 index points was recorded in 2003. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Definition: The Overall index of economic freedom has ten components grouped into four broad categories: Rule of Law; Limited Government; Regulatory Efficiency and Open Markets. The overall economic freedom is scored on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 represents the maximum freedom.