South Africa

ZAF
Updated Sep 10, 2026
Nominal GDP
$427B
+6.5%2025
GDP growth
1.11%
+0.58pp2025
Consumer inflation
3.21%
-1.16pp2025
Policy rate
7.0%
0.00ppJun 2026
Unemployment
32.39%
+0.11pp2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
+5.3%2025

Output & income

GDP growth

1.11%+0.58pp
-10%-5%05%2015201820212025
11 values
GDP growth, every published observation
PeriodValue
20251.11%
20240.53%
20230.81%
20222.06%
20214.86%
2020-6.17%
20190.26%
20181.56%
20171.16%
20160.66%
20151.32%

Nominal GDP

$427B+6.5%
$300B$350B$400B$450B2015201820212025
11 values
Nominal GDP, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025$427B
2024$401B
2023$381B
2022$408B
2021$420B
2020$338B
2019$389B
2018$405B
2017$381B
2016$324B
2015$347B

Real GDP

$370B+1.1%
$320B$340B$360B$380B2015201820212025
11 values
Real GDP, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025$370B
2024$366B
2023$364B
2022$361B
2021$354B
2020$337B
2019$359B
2018$359B
2017$353B
2016$349B
2015$347B

GDP per capita

$6,598+5.3%
$5k$6k$7k$8k2015201820212025
11 values
GDP per capita, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025$6,598
2024$6,267
2023$6,034
2022$6,534
2021$6,829
2020$5,581
2019$6,534
2018$6,914
2017$6,618
2016$5,651
2015$6,112

Prices, rates & jobs

Consumer inflation

3.21%-1.16pp
2%4%6%8%2015201820212025
11 values
Consumer inflation, every published observation
PeriodValue
20253.21%
20244.36%
20236.08%
20227.04%
20214.62%
20203.23%
20194.1%
20184.51%
20175.19%
20166.6%
20154.52%

Policy rate

7.0%0.00pp
2%4%6%8%10%Jun 2016Dec 2018Jun 2021Dec 2023Jun 2026
121 values
Policy rate, every published observation
PeriodValue
Jun 20267.0%
May 20267.0%
Apr 20266.75%
Mar 20266.75%
Feb 20266.75%
Jan 20266.75%
Dec 20256.75%
Nov 20256.75%
Oct 20257.0%
Sep 20257.0%
Aug 20257.0%
Jul 20257.25%
Jun 20257.25%
May 20257.25%
Apr 20257.5%
Mar 20257.5%
Feb 20257.5%
Jan 20257.5%
Dec 20247.75%
Nov 20247.75%
Oct 20248.0%
Sep 20248.0%
Aug 20248.25%
Jul 20248.25%
Jun 20248.25%
May 20248.25%
Apr 20248.25%
Mar 20248.25%
Feb 20248.25%
Jan 20248.25%
Dec 20238.25%
Nov 20238.25%
Oct 20238.25%
Sep 20238.25%
Aug 20238.25%
Jul 20238.25%
Jun 20238.25%
May 20238.25%
Apr 20237.75%
Mar 20237.75%
Feb 20237.25%
Jan 20237.25%
Dec 20227.0%
Nov 20227.0%
Oct 20226.25%
Sep 20226.25%
Aug 20225.5%
Jul 20225.5%
Jun 20224.75%
May 20224.75%
Apr 20224.25%
Mar 20224.25%
Feb 20224.0%
Jan 20224.0%
Dec 20213.75%
Nov 20213.75%
Oct 20213.5%
Sep 20213.5%
Aug 20213.5%
Jul 20213.5%
Jun 20213.5%
May 20213.5%
Apr 20213.5%
Mar 20213.5%
Feb 20213.5%
Jan 20213.5%
Dec 20203.5%
Nov 20203.5%
Oct 20203.5%
Sep 20203.5%
Aug 20203.5%
Jul 20203.5%
Jun 20203.75%
May 20203.75%
Apr 20204.25%
Mar 20205.25%
Feb 20206.25%
Jan 20206.25%
Dec 20196.5%
Nov 20196.5%
Oct 20196.5%
Sep 20196.5%
Aug 20196.5%
Jul 20196.5%
Jun 20196.75%
May 20196.75%
Apr 20196.75%
Mar 20196.75%
Feb 20196.75%
Jan 20196.75%
Dec 20186.75%
Nov 20186.75%
Oct 20186.5%
Sep 20186.5%
Aug 20186.5%
Jul 20186.5%
Jun 20186.5%
May 20186.5%
Apr 20186.5%
Mar 20186.5%
Feb 20186.75%
Jan 20186.75%
Dec 20176.75%
Nov 20176.75%
Oct 20176.75%
Sep 20176.75%
Aug 20176.75%
Jul 20176.75%
Jun 20177.0%
May 20177.0%
Apr 20177.0%
Mar 20177.0%
Feb 20177.0%
Jan 20177.0%
Dec 20167.0%
Nov 20167.0%
Oct 20167.0%
Sep 20167.0%
Aug 20167.0%
Jul 20167.0%
Jun 20167.0%

Unemployment

32.39%+0.11pp
20%25%30%35%40%2015201820212025
11 values
Unemployment, every published observation
PeriodValue
202532.39%
202432.28%
202332.1%
202233.27%
202134.01%
202029.22%
201928.47%
201826.91%
201727.04%
201626.54%
201525.15%

Trade & currency

Trade balance

$8.16B+$0.39B
-$10B0$10B$20B$30B2015201820212025
11 values
Trade balance, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025$8.16B
2024$7.77B
2023$3.16B
2022$8.69B
2021$26.1B
2020$14.8B
2019$1.97B
2018$2.06B
2017$4.36B
2016$1.46B
2015-$4.51B

Current account, % of GDP

-0.42%+0.22pp
-5%-2.5%02.5%5%2015201820212025
11 values
Current account, % of GDP, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025-0.42%
2024-0.64%
2023-1.1%
2022-0.3%
20213.77%
20202.0%
2019-2.62%
2018-3.0%
2017-2.37%
2016-2.63%
2015-4.31%

Export growth

-2.45%+0.30pp
-20%-10%010%2015201820212025
11 values
Export growth, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025-2.45%
2024-2.75%
20235.11%
20227.76%
20219.69%
2020-12.0%
2019-3.31%
20182.75%
2017-0.27%
20160.41%
20153.06%

Import growth

1.14%+7.55pp
-20%-10%010%20%2015201820212025
11 values
Import growth, every published observation
PeriodValue
20251.14%
2024-6.41%
20233.93%
202214.97%
20219.7%
2020-17.57%
20190.55%
20183.48%
20171.53%
2016-4.13%
20155.04%

Exchange rate per USD

17.89-2.4%
12141618202015201820212025
11 values
Exchange rate per USD, every published observation
PeriodValue
202517.89
202418.33
202318.45
202216.36
202114.78
202016.46
201914.45
201813.23
201713.32
201614.71
201512.76

FX reserves

$76.0B+16.2%
$40B$50B$60B$70B$80B2015201820212025
11 values
FX reserves, every published observation
PeriodValue
2025$76.0B
2024$65.4B
2023$62.5B
2022$60.6B
2021$57.6B
2020$55.0B
2019$55.1B
2018$51.6B
2017$50.7B
2016$47.2B
2015$45.9B

People

Population

64.7M+1.2%
55M60M65M70M2015201820212025
11 values
Population, every published observation
PeriodValue
202564.7M
202464.0M
202363.2M
202262.4M
202161.5M
202060.6M
201959.6M
201858.6M
201757.6M
201657.3M
201556.7M

Population growth

1.15%-0.10pp
01%2%3%2015201820212025
11 values
Population growth, every published observation
PeriodValue
20251.15%
20241.25%
20231.33%
20221.41%
20211.54%
20201.62%
20191.65%
20181.68%
20170.65%
20160.94%
20152.01%

Urban population

63.82%+0.12pp
63%63.25%63.5%63.75%64%2015201820212025
11 values
Urban population, every published observation
PeriodValue
202563.82%
202463.69%
202363.58%
202263.48%
202163.45%
202063.44%
201963.41%
201863.38%
201763.33%
201663.28%
201563.21%

All indicators

Latest reading for every indicator published for this country
IndicatorLatestChangePeriod10 years
GDP growth1.11%+0.58pp2025
Nominal GDP$427B+6.5%2025
Real GDP$370B+1.1%2025
GDP per capita$6,598+5.3%2025
Consumer inflation3.21%-1.16pp2025
Policy rate7.0%0.00ppJun 2026
Unemployment32.39%+0.11pp2025
Trade balance$8.16B+$0.39B2025
Current account, % of GDP-0.42%+0.22pp2025
Export growth-2.45%+0.30pp2025
Import growth1.14%+7.55pp2025
Exchange rate per USD17.89-2.4%2025
FX reserves$76.0B+16.2%2025
Population64.7M+1.2%2025
Population growth1.15%-0.10pp2025
Urban population63.82%+0.12pp2025