WorldSub-Saharan Africa South Africa

South Africa

ZAFSub-Saharan Africa Upper middle incomeCapital: Pretoria
Economy
Fiscal
People
Health
Education
Trade
Energy / Env
Tech
Governance
Equality
Infra
Labor
75/80 indicators · percentile vs world (IMF / WB / WHO)underover
South Africa in world space2000–2023
1k10k100k505560657075808590GDP per capita (USD, log)Life expectancy (years)20002023
192 countries · log scale on X world South Africa· trajectory line: 1980 → today
About South Africa

South Africa's GDP is $443.64B (2026), with a population of 64.0M, and GDP per capita of $6,835. Key indicators include real GDP growth of 1.2%, inflation at 3.7%, unemployment at 32.7%, government debt at 79.5% of GDP, life expectancy of 66.1 years. Data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.

Located in Sub-Saharan Africa, this upper middle-income nation has a GDP of 443.643 billion USD in 2026, with a growth rate of 1.2%. The GDP per capita stands at 6834.501 USD. The economy is significantly driven by trade, with trade accounting for 61.646770473025% of GDP in 2024. The inflation rate is projected to be 3.7% in 2026, while the unemployment rate is expected to be 32.391% in 2025. The country's economic landscape is diverse, encompassing sectors such as mining, agriculture, and services. The population is approximately 64,007,187 as of 2024. Life expectancy is 66.139 years as of 2023. The society is marked by a rich cultural heritage and significant linguistic diversity, with 11 official languages. The capital is Pretoria.

Economy30 indicators · 2020–2027 · IMF / WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
GDP (Current USD, Billions)$4582027 3.3%IMF
Real GDP Growth (%)1.5%2027 25.0%IMF
GDP per Capita (USD)$6,9592027 1.8%IMF
GDP, PPP (Billions Intl $)$1,0912027 3.2%IMF
GDP per Capita, PPP (Intl $)$16,5592027 1.7%IMF
Share of World GDP, PPP (%)0.47%2027 1.7%IMF
GNI (Current USD)$393.26B2024 4.5%WB
GNI per Capita (USD)$6,1102024 5.9%WB
GNI per Capita, PPP (USD)$15,1502024 1.0%WB
Industry Value Added (% of GDP)24.3%2024 1.0%WB
Services Value Added (% of GDP)63.0%2024 0.4%WB
Agriculture Value Added (% of GDP)2.8%2024 10.9%WB
Government Consumption (% of GDP)19.2%2024 0.0%WB
Household Consumption (% of GDP)64.6%2024 0.7%WB
Gross Capital Formation (% of GDP)14.1%2024 8.6%WB
Gross Savings (% of GNI)13.6%2024 7.7%WB
GDP Deflator (%)3.9%2024 17.1%WB
GDP per Person Employed (USD)$48,7522024 1.7%WB
Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP)12.8%2024 1.4%WB
Medium/High-Tech Manufacturing (% of total)24.4%2022 0.0%WB
Adjusted Net National Income per Capita (USD)$5,5212021WB
Adjusted Net Savings (% of GNI)-2.5%2020WB
External Balance on Goods & Services (% of GDP)1.9%2024 134.0%WB
Coal Rents (% of GDP)2.44%2021WB
Mineral Rents (% of GDP)3.83%2021WB
Oil Rents (% of GDP)0.40%2021WB
Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP)0.03%2021WB
Total Natural Resources Rents (% of GDP)7.3%2021WB
Forest Rents (% of GDP)0.63%2021WB
Industry Value Added (Current USD)$97.52B2024 4.1%WB
Stock Markets1 indicator · 2026 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
JSE All Share119,025.132026 2.8%WB
Financial Markets4 indicators · 2025–2026 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
10-Year Government Bond Yield (%)10.23%2025 8.4%WB
Central Bank Policy Rate (%)7.24%2025 11.2%WB
Exchange Rate (per USD)16.42026WB
Exchange Rate (per EUR)20.182025 1.8%WB
Currencies1 indicator · 2026 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
USD/ZAR16.39832026 1.1%WB
Fiscal & Monetary24 indicators · 2022–2027 · IMF / WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Inflation, Consumer Prices (%)3.2%2027 13.5%IMF
Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP)81.9%2027 3.0%IMF
Fiscal Balance (% of GDP)-5.3%2027 5.4%IMF
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)-1.6%2027 33.3%IMF
Total Investment (% of GDP)13.4%2026 2.1%IMF
Gross National Savings (% of GDP)12.2%2026 0.3%IMF
Unemployment Rate (%)32.6%2027 0.3%IMF
Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank)4.4%2024 28.2%WB
Real Interest Rate (%)7.4%2024 14.6%WB
Lending Interest Rate (%)11.6%2024 1.1%WB
Deposit Interest Rate (%)7.9%2024 19.1%WB
Government Debt (% of GDP)79.4%2023 4.3%WB
Government Revenue (% of GDP)29.8%2023 0.5%WB
Government Expenditure (% of GDP)33.4%2022 3.4%WB
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)25.4%2023 2.4%WB
Taxes on Goods & Services (% of revenue)32.4%2023 0.8%WB
Taxes on International Trade (% of revenue)3.4%2023 9.5%WB
Taxes on Income, Profits & Capital Gains (% of rev)48.0%2023 3.9%WB
Net Investment in Nonfinancial Assets (% of GDP)0.7%2023 12.3%WB
Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD)$65.43B2024 4.7%WB
Total Reserves (months of imports)5.72024 6.4%WB
Official Exchange Rate (per USD)18.332024 0.7%WB
PPP Conversion Factor7.432024 1.5%WB
Broad Money (% of GDP)73.9%2024 2.1%WB
Trade15 indicators · 2024 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Trade (% of GDP)61.6%2024 6.1%WB
Exports of Goods & Services (% of GDP)31.8%2024 4.4%WB
Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP)29.9%2024 7.9%WB
Exports of Goods & Services (USD)$127.53B2024 0.5%WB
Imports of Goods & Services (USD)$119.76B2024 3.2%WB
Merchandise Exports (USD)$110.08B2024 0.7%WB
Merchandise Imports (USD)$123.47B2024 5.6%WB
FDI Inflows (% of GDP)0.6%2024 42.6%WB
FDI Outflows (% of GDP)-0.3%2024 57.0%WB
FDI Net Inflows (USD)$2.33B2024 39.7%WB
Personal Remittances Received (USD)$855.4M2024 6.5%WB
Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP)0.2%2024 1.2%WB
High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured)5.7%2024 15.1%WB
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)-0.6%2024 41.8%WB
Current Account Balance (USD)$-2.58B2024 38.7%WB
External Debt7 indicators · 2023–2024 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
External Debt (% of GNI)44.8%2024 1.5%WB
External Debt Stocks (USD)$175.90B2024 6.1%WB
Total Debt Service (% of GNI)5.7%2024 5.6%WB
Present Value of External Debt (USD)$94.14B2024WB
Use of IMF Credit (USD)$7.63B2024 22.9%WB
Net ODA Received (% of GNI)0.4%2023 55.2%WB
Net ODA Received (USD)$1.51B2023 46.3%WB
Finance11 indicators · 2021–2024 · WB
Private Sector3 indicators · 2020 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Firms with Female Top Manager (%)10.6%2020WB
Firms Offering Training (%)7.9%2020WB
Firms Using Computers (%)17.1%2020WB
People23 indicators · 2023–2025 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Population64.0M2024 1.3%WB
Population Growth (%)1.2%2024 5.9%WB
Population Density (per km²)522023 1.3%WB
Surface Area (sq km)1.2M2023 0.0%WB
Land Area (sq km)1.2M2023 0.0%WB
Urban Population (%)63.7%2024 0.2%WB
Urban Population (total)40.8M2024 1.4%WB
Rural Population (%)36.3%2024 0.3%WB
Life Expectancy at Birth66.1 years2023 1.0%WB
Life Expectancy, Male62.6 years2023 1.3%WB
Life Expectancy, Female69.6 years2023 0.8%WB
Fertility Rate (births per woman)2.22023 0.5%WB
Birth Rate (per 1,000)18.82023 1.6%WB
Death Rate (per 1,000)9.22023 1.7%WB
Net Migration146,3702025 12.3%WB
Population Ages 0–14 (%)25.9%2024 0.8%WB
Population Ages 15–64 (%)67.4%2024 0.0%WB
Population Ages 65+ (%)6.7%2024 2.7%WB
Age Dependency Ratio (%)48.3%2024 0.1%WB
Old-Age Dependency Ratio (%)9.9%2024 2.7%WB
Youth Dependency Ratio (%)38.4%2024 0.8%WB
Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000)327.22023 5.2%WB
Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000)212.62023 4.9%WB
Labor20 indicators · 2024–2025 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Total Labor Force26.7M2025 1.4%WB
Labor Force Participation (%)55.6%2025 0.0%WB
Female Labor Force Participation (%)49.9%2025 0.2%WB
Male Labor Force Participation (%)61.7%2025 0.1%WB
Unemployment (%)32.4%2025 0.3%WB
Female Unemployment (%)34.0%2025 1.3%WB
Male Unemployment (%)31.0%2025 1.9%WB
Youth Unemployment (%)59.9%2025 0.5%WB
Employment in Agriculture (%)5.4%2025 0.6%WB
Employment in Industry (%)20.8%2025 0.2%WB
Employment in Services (%)73.8%2025 0.1%WB
Self-Employed (%)55.6%2024 1.0%WB
Vulnerable Employment (%)11.7%2025 0.3%WB
Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total)82.7%2025 0.0%WB
Part-Time Employment (%)15.7%2024 0.3%WB
Employers (% of total employment)5.6%2025 0.3%WB
Labor Force, Female (% of total)46.6%2025 0.2%WB
Employment to Population Ratio (%)37.6%2025 0.1%WB
Self-Employed (% of total)17.3%2025 0.1%WB
NEET Youth (% not in education/employment)34.6%2024 1.9%WB
Education21 indicators · 2015–2025 · WB
Health39 indicators · 2017–2024 · WHO
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Health Spending (% of GDP)8.9%2023 1.9%WHO
Health Spending per Capita (USD)$5372023 5.9%WHO
Government Health Spending (% of GDP)5.5%2023 2.0%WHO
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending (% of total)6.7%2023 0.4%WHO
Physicians (per 1,000 people)0.82022 1.7%WHO
Nurses & Midwives (per 1,000)6.42022WHO
Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births)34.72023 0.9%WHO
Neonatal Mortality (per 1,000)11.72023 0.9%WHO
Maternal Mortality (per 100,000)1182023 8.5%WHO
Under-5 Mortality, Female (per 1,000)31.92023 0.9%WHO
Under-5 Mortality, Male (per 1,000)37.22023 0.5%WHO
Cause of Death, Communicable (%)35.7%2019WHO
Cause of Death, Non-Communicable (%)51.3%2019WHO
Cause of Death, Injury (%)13.0%2019WHO
Measles Immunization (% of children)76.0%2024 5.0%WHO
DPT Immunization (% of children)74.0%2024 6.3%WHO
HIV Incidence (per 1,000)3.12024 3.1%WHO
Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100,000)3892024 8.9%WHO
Smoking Prevalence, Males (%)34.9%2022 0.0%WHO
Smoking Prevalence, Females (%)6.5%2022 3.0%WHO
Suicide Mortality Rate (per 100,000)22.32021WHO
Alcohol Consumption (liters per capita)7.12020WHO
Maternal Deaths1,3952023 9.3%WHO
Tuberculosis Incidence (per 100K)3892024 8.9%WHO
People Living with HIV7.8M2024 1.3%WHO
Malaria Deaths (estimated)102024 84.4%WHO
Malaria Incidence (per 1K at risk)0.12024 86.3%WHO
DTP3 Immunization Coverage (%)74%2024 6.3%WHO
Measles Immunization Coverage (%)76%2024 5.0%WHO
Hepatitis B Immunization Coverage (%)74%2024 6.3%WHO
Physicians (total)82024 6.1%WHO
Nursing & Midwifery Personnel422024 2.4%WHO
Dentists (total)265,8772024 1.1%WHO
Pharmacists (total)1,5432022WHO
Child Wasting (<5 years, %)3.6%2017WHO
Child Underweight (<5 years, %)4.9%2017WHO
Universal Health Coverage Index742023 1.3%WHO
Road Traffic Death Rate (per 100K)14,5282021WHO
Health Expenditure per Capita (WHO, USD)$5372023 5.9%WHO
Energy & Environment16 indicators · 2020–2024 · WB / WHO
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
CO₂ Emissions (tonnes per capita)6.92024 1.7%WB
CO₂ Emissions (total kilotonnes)4402024 3.0%WB
Energy Use (kg oil eq. per capita)1,9392023 0.0%WB
Electric Power Consumption (kWh per capita)3,2472023 4.6%WB
Renewable Electricity Output (%)6.4%2021WB
Renewable Energy Consumption (%)9.7%2021 1.0%WB
Access to Electricity (%)87.7%2023 1.4%WB
Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%)89.8%2023 0.7%WB
PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³)23.82020WB
Forest Area (%)14.0%2023 0.2%WB
Forest Area (sq km)169,4092023 0.2%WB
Arable Land (%)9.9%2023 0.0%WB
Terrestrial Protected Areas (%)12.8%2024 0.8%WB
Marine Protected Areas (%)15.4%2024 0.6%WB
Access to Basic Drinking Water (%)90.2%2024 0.3%WHO
Access to Basic Sanitation (%)77.4%2024 0.8%WHO
Agriculture11 indicators · 2022–2023 · WB
Technology13 indicators · 2021–2024 · WB
Infrastructure9 indicators · 2008–2023 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Air Transport, Passengers Carried15.5M2023 27.4%WB
Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km)59.72023 58.4%WB
Container Port Traffic (TEU)4.1M2022 8.2%WB
Rail Lines (total km)20,9532021 0.0%WB
Railways, Passengers (million km)3,5022020WB
Railways, Goods (million ton-km)113,3422008WB
Logistics Performance Index (1–5)3.702022WB
Electricity from Oil (%)3.5%2023 43.0%WB
Electricity from Nuclear (%)3.7%2023 16.4%WB
Gender8 indicators · 2017–2025 · WB
Governance10 indicators · 2023 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Control of Corruption-0.282023 13.8%WB
Government Effectiveness-0.262023 135.7%WB
Political Stability-0.672023 2.3%WB
Regulatory Quality-0.222023 20.8%WB
Rule of Law0.092023 111.5%WB
Voice & Accountability0.742023 3.0%WB
Control of Corruption (percentile rank)45.8%2023 4.3%WB
Government Effectiveness (percentile rank)40.6%2023 14.0%WB
Rule of Law (percentile rank)54.2%2023 0.9%WB
Political Stability (percentile rank)20.9%2023 0.5%WB
Military6 indicators · 2020–2024 · WB
IndicatorValueYearΔ YoYSrc
Military Spending (% of GDP)0.7%2024 7.2%WB
Military Expenditure (USD)$2.84B2024 1.4%WB
Armed Forces Personnel89,0002020WB
Armed Forces (% of labor force)0.4%2020WB
Military Spending (% of govt expenditure)2.1%2024 8.8%WB
Intentional Homicides (per 100,000)43.72022 6.8%WB
Social Protection8 indicators · 2019–2021 · WB
Tourism5 indicators · 2020 · WB
Urban Development8 indicators · 2022–2025 · WB / WHO

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