South Africa
Capital: PretoriaRegion: Sub-Saharan Africa Income: Upper middle income
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. Explore South Africa's full economic profile with 440+ indicators, interactive charts, and historical data below.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook
Economy
Stock Markets
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| JSE All Share | 116,122.75 | 2026 |
Financial Markets
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Government Bond Yield (%) | 10.23% | 2025 |
| Central Bank Policy Rate (%) | 7.24% | 2025 |
| Exchange Rate (per USD) | 16.98 | 2026 |
Currencies
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| USD/ZAR | 16.9888 | 2026 |
Fiscal & Monetary
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inflation, Consumer Prices (%) | 3.7% | 2026 |
| Govt Gross Debt (% of GDP) | 79.5% | 2026 |
| Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) | -5.6% | 2026 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -1.2% | 2026 |
| Total Investment (% of GDP) | 13.4% | 2026 |
| Gross National Savings (% of GDP) | 12.2% | 2026 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 32.7% | 2026 |
| Inflation, CPI (%, World Bank) | 4.4% | 2024 |
| Real Interest Rate (%) | 7.4% | 2024 |
| Lending Interest Rate (%) | 11.6% | 2024 |
| Deposit Interest Rate (%) | 7.9% | 2024 |
| Government Debt (% of GDP) | 79.4% | 2023 |
| Government Revenue (% of GDP) | 29.8% | 2023 |
| Government Expenditure (% of GDP) | 33.4% | 2022 |
| Tax Revenue (% of GDP) | 25.4% | 2023 |
| Taxes on Goods & Services (% of revenue) | 32.4% | 2023 |
| Taxes on International Trade (% of revenue) | 3.4% | 2023 |
| Taxes on Income, Profits & Capital Gains (% of rev) | 48.0% | 2023 |
| Net Investment in Nonfinancial Assets (% of GDP) | 0.7% | 2023 |
| Total Reserves incl. Gold (USD) | $65.43B | 2024 |
| Total Reserves (months of imports) | 5.7 | 2024 |
| Official Exchange Rate (per USD) | 18.33 | 2024 |
| PPP Conversion Factor | 7.43 | 2024 |
| Broad Money (% of GDP) | 73.9% | 2024 |
Trade
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Trade (% of GDP) | 61.6% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 31.8% | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (% of GDP) | 29.9% | 2024 |
| Exports of Goods & Services (USD) | $127.53B | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods & Services (USD) | $119.76B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Exports (USD) | $110.08B | 2024 |
| Merchandise Imports (USD) | $123.47B | 2024 |
| FDI Inflows (% of GDP) | 0.6% | 2024 |
| FDI Outflows (% of GDP) | -0.3% | 2024 |
| FDI Net Inflows (USD) | $2.33B | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (USD) | $855.4M | 2024 |
| Personal Remittances Received (% of GDP) | 0.2% | 2024 |
| High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured) | 5.7% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (% of GDP) | -0.6% | 2024 |
| Current Account Balance (USD) | $-2.58B | 2024 |
External Debt
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| External Debt (% of GNI) | 44.8% | 2024 |
| External Debt Stocks (USD) | $175.90B | 2024 |
| Total Debt Service (% of GNI) | 5.7% | 2024 |
| Present Value of External Debt (USD) | $94.14B | 2024 |
| Use of IMF Credit (USD) | $7.63B | 2024 |
| Net ODA Received (% of GNI) | 0.4% | 2023 |
| Net ODA Received (USD) | $1.51B | 2023 |
Finance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Credit by Financial Sector (% of GDP) | 119.0% | 2023 |
| Domestic Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP) | 90.4% | 2023 |
| Stock Market Capitalization (% of GDP) | 245.7% | 2024 |
| Stock Market Capitalization (USD) | $985.70B | 2024 |
| Stock Market Turnover (% of GDP) | 47.9% | 2024 |
| Listed Domestic Companies | 220 | 2024 |
| Bank Capital to Assets Ratio (%) | 8.1% | 2021 |
| Bank Nonperforming Loans (%) | 4.5% | 2021 |
| Account Ownership at Financial Institution (%) | 81.1% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Female (%) | 81.0% | 2024 |
| Account Ownership, Male (%) | 81.3% | 2024 |
People
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64.0M | 2024 |
| Population Growth (%) | 1.2% | 2024 |
| Population Density (per km²) | 52 | 2023 |
| Surface Area (sq km) | 1.2M | 2023 |
| Land Area (sq km) | 1.2M | 2023 |
| Urban Population (%) | 63.7% | 2024 |
| Urban Population (total) | 40.8M | 2024 |
| Rural Population (%) | 36.3% | 2024 |
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 66.1 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Male | 62.6 years | 2023 |
| Life Expectancy, Female | 69.6 years | 2023 |
| Fertility Rate (births per woman) | 2.2 | 2023 |
| Birth Rate (per 1,000) | 18.8 | 2023 |
| Death Rate (per 1,000) | 9.2 | 2023 |
| Net Migration | 146,370 | 2025 |
| Population Ages 0–14 (%) | 25.9% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 15–64 (%) | 67.4% | 2024 |
| Population Ages 65+ (%) | 6.7% | 2024 |
| Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 48.3% | 2024 |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio (%) | 9.9% | 2024 |
| Youth Dependency Ratio (%) | 38.4% | 2024 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Male (per 1,000) | 327.2 | 2023 |
| Mortality Rate, Adult Female (per 1,000) | 212.6 | 2023 |
Labor
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total Labor Force | 26.7M | 2025 |
| Labor Force Participation (%) | 55.6% | 2025 |
| Female Labor Force Participation (%) | 49.9% | 2025 |
| Male Labor Force Participation (%) | 61.7% | 2025 |
| Unemployment (%) | 32.4% | 2025 |
| Female Unemployment (%) | 34.0% | 2025 |
| Male Unemployment (%) | 31.0% | 2025 |
| Youth Unemployment (%) | 59.9% | 2025 |
| Employment in Agriculture (%) | 5.4% | 2025 |
| Employment in Industry (%) | 20.8% | 2025 |
| Employment in Services (%) | 73.8% | 2025 |
| Self-Employed (%) | 55.6% | 2024 |
| Vulnerable Employment (%) | 11.7% | 2025 |
| Wage & Salaried Workers (% of total) | 82.7% | 2025 |
| Part-Time Employment (%) | 15.7% | 2024 |
| Employers (% of total employment) | 5.6% | 2025 |
| Labor Force, Female (% of total) | 46.6% | 2025 |
| Employment to Population Ratio (%) | 37.6% | 2025 |
| Self-Employed (% of total) | 17.3% | 2025 |
| NEET Youth (% not in education/employment) | 34.6% | 2024 |
Education
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Education Spending (% of GDP) | 6.0% | 2024 |
| Education Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 19.1% | 2025 |
| Adult Literacy Rate (%) | 91.2% | 2024 |
| Female Literacy Rate (%) | 90.8% | 2024 |
| Male Literacy Rate (%) | 91.5% | 2024 |
| Youth Literacy Rate (%) | 97.2% | 2024 |
| Primary School Enrollment (%) | 101.8% | 2023 |
| Secondary School Enrollment (%) | 104.1% | 2023 |
| Tertiary School Enrollment (%) | 23.5% | 2023 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 95.3% | 2023 |
| Lower Secondary Completion Rate (%) | 88.3% | 2023 |
| Out-of-School Children, Primary | 448,146 | 2023 |
| Out-of-School Girls, Primary | 218,959 | 2023 |
| Primary School Teachers | 287,310 | 2023 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 181,739 | 2023 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Primary | 30 | 2015 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Secondary | 28 | 2017 |
| Expenditure per Student, Primary (% of GDP/cap) | 38.7% | 2018 |
| Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Primary) | 95.4 | 2022 |
| Education Spending, Secondary (% of govt) | 30.8% | 2018 |
| Education Spending, Tertiary (% of govt) | 15.3% | 2018 |
Health
Energy & Environment
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ Emissions (tonnes per capita) | 6.9 | 2024 |
| CO₂ Emissions (total kilotonnes) | 440 | 2024 |
| Energy Use (kg oil eq. per capita) | 1,939 | 2023 |
| Electric Power Consumption (kWh per capita) | 3,247 | 2023 |
| Renewable Electricity Output (%) | 6.4% | 2021 |
| Renewable Energy Consumption (%) | 9.7% | 2021 |
| Access to Electricity (%) | 87.7% | 2023 |
| Access to Clean Fuels for Cooking (%) | 89.8% | 2023 |
| PM2.5 Air Pollution (µg/m³) | 23.8 | 2020 |
| Forest Area (%) | 14.0% | 2023 |
| Forest Area (sq km) | 169,409 | 2023 |
| Arable Land (%) | 9.9% | 2023 |
| Terrestrial Protected Areas (%) | 12.8% | 2024 |
| Marine Protected Areas (%) | 15.4% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Drinking Water (%) | 90.2% | 2024 |
| Access to Basic Sanitation (%) | 77.4% | 2024 |
Agriculture
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Land (%) | 79.4% | 2023 |
| Cereal Yield (kg per hectare) | 5,726 | 2023 |
| Food Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 113.2 | 2022 |
| Crop Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 124.1 | 2022 |
| Livestock Production Index (2014–2016=100) | 103.2 | 2022 |
| Land Under Cereal Production (hectares) | 3.3M | 2023 |
| Total Fisheries Production (metric tonnes) | 478,243 | 2023 |
| Fertilizer Consumption (kg per hectare) | 77.2 | 2023 |
| Prevalence of Undernourishment (%) | 10.0% | 2023 |
| Annual Freshwater Withdrawals (% of internal) | 47.1% | 2022 |
| Cereal Production (metric tons) | 19.0M | 2023 |
Technology
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Internet Users (%) | 75.7% | 2023 |
| Mobile Subscriptions (per 100 people) | 172 | 2023 |
| Fixed Broadband Subscriptions (per 100) | 3.4 | 2023 |
| Secure Internet Servers (per million) | 16,658.2 | 2024 |
| R&D Spending (% of GDP) | 0.62% | 2022 |
| Patent Applications, Residents | 1,804 | 2021 |
| Patent Applications, Non-Residents | 9,156 | 2021 |
| Scientific Journal Articles | 16,651 | 2022 |
| High-Technology Exports (USD) | $2.45B | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (% of service exports) | 9.5% | 2024 |
| ICT Service Exports (USD) | $1.53B | 2024 |
| Industrial Design Applications, Resident | 728 | 2021 |
| Researchers in R&D (per million) | 444 | 2022 |
Infrastructure
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transport, Passengers Carried | 15.5M | 2023 |
| Air Transport, Freight (million ton-km) | 59.7 | 2023 |
| Container Port Traffic (TEU) | 4.1M | 2022 |
| Rail Lines (total km) | 20,953 | 2021 |
| Railways, Passengers (million km) | 3,502 | 2020 |
| Railways, Goods (million ton-km) | 113,342 | 2008 |
| Logistics Performance Index (1–5) | 3.70 | 2022 |
| Electricity from Oil (%) | 3.5% | 2023 |
| Electricity from Nuclear (%) | 3.7% | 2023 |
Gender
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Parliament (%) | 44.7% | 2024 |
| Female Labor Force Participation, 15+ (%) | 49.8% | 2024 |
| Female Wage & Salaried Workers (%) | 85.3% | 2025 |
| Girls Out-of-School Rate (%) | 99.8% | 2017 |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1,000) | 51.6 | 2023 |
| Gender Parity Index, Primary | 103.67 | 2017 |
| Gender Parity Index, Secondary | 1.09 | 2020 |
| Gender Parity in Primary Education | 0.96 | 2020 |
Governance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Control of Corruption | -0.28 | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness | -0.26 | 2023 |
| Political Stability | -0.67 | 2023 |
| Regulatory Quality | -0.22 | 2023 |
| Rule of Law | 0.09 | 2023 |
| Voice & Accountability | 0.74 | 2023 |
| Control of Corruption (percentile rank) | 45.8% | 2023 |
| Government Effectiveness (percentile rank) | 40.6% | 2023 |
| Rule of Law (percentile rank) | 54.2% | 2023 |
| Political Stability (percentile rank) | 20.9% | 2023 |
Military
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Military Spending (% of GDP) | 0.7% | 2024 |
| Military Expenditure (USD) | $2.84B | 2024 |
| Armed Forces Personnel | 89,000 | 2020 |
| Armed Forces (% of labor force) | 0.4% | 2020 |
| Military Spending (% of govt expenditure) | 2.1% | 2024 |
| Intentional Homicides (per 100,000) | 43.7 | 2022 |
Social Protection
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Coverage (%) | 3.4% | 2021 |
| Social Assistance Coverage (%) | 76.7% | 2021 |
| Labor Market Programs Coverage (%) | 3.3% | 2019 |
| Social Protection Coverage (%) | 78.4% | 2021 |
| Human Capital Index (0–1) | 0.43 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Female | 0.45 | 2020 |
| Human Capital Index, Male | 0.41 | 2020 |
| Learning-Adjusted Years of School | 5.6 years | 2020 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| International Tourism, Arrivals | 3.9M | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (USD) | $2.72B | 2020 |
| Tourism Expenditures (USD) | $1.59B | 2020 |
| Tourism Receipts (% of total exports) | 2.9% | 2020 |
| International Tourism, Transport Services (USD) | $109.0M | 2020 |
Urban Development
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Population Growth (%) | 1.4% | 2024 |
| Population in Largest City | 6.4M | 2025 |
| Population in Largest City (% of urban) | 15.6% | 2025 |
| Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total) | 36.1% | 2025 |
| Population in Slums (% of urban) | 24.2% | 2022 |
| Rural Population Growth (%) | 0.9% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Drinking Water (%) | 68.0% | 2024 |
| Access to Safely Managed Sanitation (%) | 73.8% | 2024 |
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