South Africa vs Uganda: Inequality in life expectancy
South Africa
0.1983
in 2023
Uganda
0.2014
in 2023
South Africa rank
45th
Uganda rank
42nd
Inequality in life expectancy over time
- South Africa
- Uganda
How they compare
Uganda currently reports 0.2014 against 0.1983 in South Africa, a difference of 0.0031.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 14 shared years of data; in 2010 it was Uganda ahead.
South Africa ranks 45th and Uganda ranks 42nd of 195 countries.
Uganda has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Uganda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.21 | 0.2614 | 0.0514 | Uganda |
| 2020s | 0.1924 | 0.2091 | 0.0167 | Uganda |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher inequality in life expectancy, South Africa or Uganda?
- Uganda, at 0.2014 against 0.1983 in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in inequality in life expectancy between South Africa and Uganda?
- 0.0031, with Uganda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Uganda?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Uganda rank globally for inequality in life expectancy?
- South Africa ranks 45th and Uganda ranks 42nd of 195 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Inequality in life expectancy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Atkinson index measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of the number of years a newborn would live if age-specific mortality rates in the current year were to stay the same throughout its life.