The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) says South Africa is underperforming in economic and social rights.

The rights-oriented organisation said in a statement on Wednesday that South Africans have limited access to the basic necessities of life.

The organisation noted that South Africa scored 66.0 per cent on its Quality of Life index and underperformed in areas such as the rights to education, work, health, housing and food.

“Scores for all of these rights firmly fell within HRMI’s ‘very bad’ range, except for the right to health, which scored in the ‘bad’ range,” the statement said.

“South Africa has a very long way to go to become compliant under international law and attend to its immediate economic and social rights duties, even adjusting for its current level of income,” it stated.

HRMI noted that there has been “very little improvement” in any of these rights over the past two decades.

“The best improvements have been for the right to secondary education, where the country is doing nearly the best HRMI calculation is possible given its resources, and adult health, where there have been steady improvements since 2005, with the exception of the COVID crisis,” it stated.

The report also noted that South Africa’s scores for the rights to quality education and food have declined in recent years.

HRMI referenced an Amnesty International report, which stated that “children, HIV patients, residents in rural areas and informal settlements” are at greater risk of economic and social rights violations in the country.

The organisation’s co-executive director, Thalia Kehoe Rowden, stated that the rights are important and that the country has sufficient resources to make substantial improvements.

Ms Rowden stated, “These everyday rights are absolutely fundamental. South Africa’s leaders will need to make significant changes to improve their people’s quality of life.

“The good news is that the country has enough resources to make substantial improvements, even at its current level of income, and it has shown, with secondary education enrolment rates, that it is capable of investing and seeing gains.”

HRMI’s East and Southern Africa engagement lead, Nkosi Sibanda, noted that the data showed that too many people continue to experience poverty, unemployment, hunger and inadequate access to basic services three decades after apartheid in the country.

“At a time when South Africa is navigating economic pressures and a new era of coalition governance, translating constitutional promises into lived realities remains critical for both social justice and long-term stability,” Mr Sibanda said.