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Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit in South Africa

South Africa: Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit was 1 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 188 countries
All-time high
1
in 1988
All-time low
0
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit in South Africa, 1970–2023

00.20.40.60.81197019962023

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Analysis

In 2023, do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit in South Africa stood at 1. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.

The figure is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit in South Africa peaked at 1 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1970.

That places South Africa 1st out of 188 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit in South Africa, year by year

Year Value Change
1970 0 —
1971 0 —
1972 0 —
1973 0 —
1974 0 —
1975 0 —
1976 0 —
1977 0 —
1978 0 —
1979 0 —
1980 0 —
1981 0 —
1982 0 —
1983 0 —
1984 0 —
1985 0 —
1986 0 —
1987 0 —
1988 1 —
1989 1 +0.0%
1990 1 +0.0%
1991 1 +0.0%
1992 1 +0.0%
1993 1 +0.0%
1994 1 +0.0%
1995 1 +0.0%
1996 1 +0.0%
1997 1 +0.0%
1998 1 +0.0%
1999 1 +0.0%
2000 1 +0.0%
2001 1 +0.0%
2002 1 +0.0%
2003 1 +0.0%
2004 1 +0.0%
2005 1 +0.0%
2006 1 +0.0%
2007 1 +0.0%
2008 1 +0.0%
2009 1 +0.0%
2010 1 +0.0%
2011 1 +0.0%
2012 1 +0.0%
2013 1 +0.0%
2014 1 +0.0%
2015 1 +0.0%
2016 1 +0.0%
2017 1 +0.0%
2018 1 +0.0%
2019 1 +0.0%
2020 1 +0.0%
2021 1 +0.0%
2022 1 +0.0%
2023 1 +0.0%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 1 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 1 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0 0 0 10
1980s 0.2 0 1 10
1990s 1 1 1 10
2000s 1 1 1 10
2010s 1 1 1 10
2020s 1 1 1 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

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See the full ranking of 188 places →

More financial sector data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit in South Africa?
Do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit in South Africa was 1 in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund.
What is the highest do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1 in 1988.
What is the lowest do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1970.
How does South Africa rank for do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 188 countries with data for 2023.
Is do male and female surviving spouses have equal rights to inherit rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit Assets?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/do-male-and-female-surviving-spouses-have-equal-rights-to-inherit-assets/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Do Male and Female Surviving Spouses Have Equal Rights to Inherit Assets?
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
188 places, 10,152 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Data on the legal rights that affects women's economic empowerment.