South Africans work for just seven years at peak productivity — Finns do so for 28
South Africans are spending two more years in school and scoring better on education quality than they did in 1990, but their health status has deteriorated, a Lancet study shows
SA’s investment in its human capital has barely improved in the past 25 years, undermining its prospects of economic development, a study published in The Lancet on Tuesday has found. South Africans work for just seven years at peak productivity, compared to 28 years in Finland, and the country slipped to 144th out of 195 nations in 2016, down from 129 in 1990. SA scored just behind the Solomon Islands, and ahead of Sao Tomé and Principe “Our findings show there is an association between investments in education and health, and improved human capital and GDP, which policy makers ignore at their own peril,” said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which conducted the study on behalf of the World Bank.
Human capital is defined by the World Bank as the sum total of a population’s health, skills, knowledge, experience and habits. It recognises that the quality of workers — and therefore their contribution to economic development ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.