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Macro

South Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa · Upper middle income · IMF WEO April 2026 · World Bank WDI

GDP▲ 6.5%
Current prices2025
427USD bn
GDP per capita▲ 5.2%
Current prices2025
6,769USD
Real GDP growth▲ 0.6 pp
Annual change2025
1.1%
Inflation▼ 1.2 pp
Average consumer prices2025
3.2%
Unemployment▼ 0.3 pp
Rate2025
32.4%
Government debt▲ 2.7 pp
General government, gross2025
78.6% of GDP
Current account▲ 0.1 pp
Balance2025
-0.5% of GDP
Population▲ 1.2%
Total2025
63.10million

Real GDP growth, %

Since 1995 · lighter bars = IMF projection
-6.20.05.61995: 3.1%1996: 4.3%1997: 2.6%1998: 0.5%1999: 2.4%2000: 4.2%2001: 2.7%2002: 3.7%2003: 2.9%2004: 4.6%2005: 5.3%2006: 5.6%2007: 5.4%2008: 3.2%2009: -1.5%2010: 3.0%2011: 3.2%2012: 2.4%2013: 2.5%2014: 1.4%2015: 1.3%2016: 0.7%2017: 1.2%2018: 1.6%2019: 0.3%2020: -6.2%2021: 4.9%2022: 2.1%2023: 0.8%2024: 0.5%2025: 1.1%2026: 1.0% (IMF projection)2027: 1.3% (IMF projection)2028: 1.5% (IMF projection)2029: 1.7% (IMF projection)2030: 1.8% (IMF projection)2031: 1.8% (IMF projection)IMF projection19952000200520102015202020252030

Inflation, %

Average consumer prices · lighter bars = IMF projection
0.010.91995: 8.8%1996: 7.4%1997: 8.6%1998: 7.0%1999: 5.1%2000: 5.3%2001: 5.7%2002: 9.1%2003: 5.9%2004: 1.4%2005: 3.4%2006: 4.7%2007: 7.1%2008: 10.9%2009: 7.2%2010: 4.2%2011: 5.0%2012: 5.7%2013: 5.7%2014: 6.1%2015: 4.6%2016: 6.3%2017: 5.3%2018: 4.6%2019: 4.1%2020: 3.3%2021: 4.6%2022: 6.9%2023: 5.9%2024: 4.4%2025: 3.2%2026: 3.9% (IMF projection)2027: 3.4% (IMF projection)2028: 3.0% (IMF projection)2029: 3.0% (IMF projection)2030: 3.0% (IMF projection)2031: 3.0% (IMF projection)IMF projection19952000200520102015202020252030

IMF outlook

IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 · italics = IMF projection
Indicator2021202220232024202520262027202820292030
Real GDP growth %4.92.10.80.51.11.01.31.51.71.8
Inflation, average consumer prices %4.66.95.94.43.23.93.43.03.03.0
Unemployment rate %34.333.532.432.632.432.532.432.232.132.0
GDP, current prices USD bn420407381401427480494513533555
GDP per capita, current prices USD6,9716,6946,1936,4356,7697,5037,6247,8048,0028,218
GDP per capita, PPP Int. USD13,97015,11315,61615,89516,32616,74017,08617,39617,75618,163
General government gross debt % of GDP68.870.773.276.078.678.979.780.981.782.2
General government net lending/borrowing % of GDP-5.5-4.2-5.6-5.7-5.8-4.9-4.3-4.4-4.1-3.9
Current account balance % of GDP3.7-0.3-1.1-0.7-0.5-0.9-1.4-1.6-1.7-1.8
Population million60.2360.8761.5862.3363.1063.9764.8565.7466.6567.57

Government debt, % of GDP

General government gross debt
0.082.62000: 38%2001: 38%2002: 32%2003: 32%2004: 31%2005: 30%2006: 28%2007: 24%2008: 24%2009: 27%2010: 31%2011: 35%2012: 37%2013: 40%2014: 43%2015: 45%2016: 47%2017: 49%2018: 52%2019: 56%2020: 69%2021: 69%2022: 71%2023: 73%2024: 76%2025: 79%2026: 79% (IMF projection)2027: 80% (IMF projection)2028: 81% (IMF projection)2029: 82% (IMF projection)2030: 82% (IMF projection)2031: 83% (IMF projection)IMF projection2000200520102015202020252030

Current account, % of GDP

Balance of payments
-5.30.03.72000: -0.1%2001: 0.2%2002: 0.8%2003: -0.7%2004: -2.5%2005: -2.8%2006: -4.0%2007: -4.8%2008: -5.0%2009: -2.4%2010: -1.3%2011: -2.0%2012: -4.7%2013: -5.3%2014: -4.8%2015: -4.3%2016: -2.7%2017: -2.4%2018: -2.9%2019: -2.6%2020: 2.0%2021: 3.7%2022: -0.3%2023: -1.1%2024: -0.7%2025: -0.5%2026: -0.9% (IMF projection)2027: -1.4% (IMF projection)2028: -1.6% (IMF projection)2029: -1.7% (IMF projection)2030: -1.8% (IMF projection)2031: -1.8% (IMF projection)IMF projection2000200520102015202020252030

Economic structure

Value added by sector, % of GDP · World Bank
AgricultureManufacturingOther industryServices
YearStructureAgricultureIndustryManufacturingServices
19953.131.021.258.2
20052.126.017.462.6
20152.223.712.564.1
20252.824.112.363.1

Income, trade and society

World Bank WDI · change over 10 years
IndicatorLatestUnitYear10Y change
GNI per capita, Atlas method6,270USD2025-2.8%
GNI, Atlas method406USD bn2025+11.0%
Exports of goods and services31.4% of GDP2025+3.7 pp
Imports of goods and services29.5% of GDP2025+0.5 pp
Life expectancy at birth66.3years2024+5.0%
Urban population63.8% of total2025+0.6 pp

South Africa on the platform

Market data for this country

Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2026; 2026 onwards are IMF projections) · World Bank World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)