Current account balance in South Africa
South Africa: Current account balance was -0.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, current account balance in South Africa stood at -0.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 34.2% on the previous year and up 90.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in South Africa peaked at 5.3% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -6.4%, in 1971.
South Africa ranks 86th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.6% | — |
| 1961 | 2.9% | +422.9% |
| 1962 | 4.4% | +49.5% |
| 1963 | 1.8% | -59.1% |
| 1964 | -1.3% | -175.1% |
| 1965 | -4.0% | +193.5% |
| 1966 | -1.0% | -73.8% |
| 1967 | -2.4% | +129.3% |
| 1968 | -0.1% | -95.2% |
| 1969 | -2.5% | +2078.7% |
| 1970 | -6.1% | +143.7% |
| 1971 | -6.4% | +4.6% |
| 1972 | -0.8% | -87.7% |
| 1973 | -0.8% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | -3.5% | +347.2% |
| 1975 | -5.6% | +60.8% |
| 1976 | -4.6% | -16.8% |
| 1977 | 0.5% | -111.4% |
| 1978 | 2.1% | +303.7% |
| 1979 | 4.7% | +120.8% |
| 1980 | 3.5% | -24.8% |
| 1981 | -5.3% | -251.2% |
| 1982 | -4.1% | -23.2% |
| 1983 | -0.3% | -91.8% |
| 1984 | -2.3% | +584.5% |
| 1985 | 3.5% | -252.5% |
| 1986 | 3.8% | +7.5% |
| 1987 | 5.3% | +40.2% |
| 1988 | 2.4% | -53.9% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | -43.1% |
| 1990 | 1.2% | -11.2% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | -15.9% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | +30.2% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | +41.3% |
| 1994 | 0.0% | -99.0% |
| 1995 | -1.5% | -7624.1% |
| 1996 | -1.0% | -29.2% |
| 1997 | -1.3% | +28.2% |
| 1998 | -1.4% | +9.1% |
| 1999 | -0.4% | -69.0% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -71.8% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -301.5% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | +209.1% |
| 2003 | -0.8% | -200.1% |
| 2004 | -2.5% | +220.4% |
| 2005 | -2.8% | +10.7% |
| 2006 | -4.0% | +44.2% |
| 2007 | -4.9% | +21.5% |
| 2008 | -5.2% | +6.7% |
| 2009 | -2.4% | -54.0% |
| 2010 | -1.3% | -45.5% |
| 2011 | -2.0% | +55.5% |
| 2012 | -4.7% | +131.9% |
| 2013 | -5.3% | +14.0% |
| 2014 | -4.8% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | -4.3% | -10.4% |
| 2016 | -2.6% | -38.9% |
| 2017 | -2.4% | -9.8% |
| 2018 | -3.0% | +26.4% |
| 2019 | -2.6% | -12.7% |
| 2020 | 2.0% | -176.5% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | +88.3% |
| 2022 | -0.3% | -107.9% |
| 2023 | -1.1% | +272.6% |
| 2024 | -0.6% | -41.8% |
| 2025 | -0.4% | -34.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.2% | -4.0% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | -2.0% | -6.4% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | -5.3% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.0% | -1.5% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.2% | -5.2% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.3% | -5.3% | -1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | -1.1% | 3.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 6.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1367 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 901.96 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 4.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1889 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 1,246 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 2.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 3.38 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in South Africa?
- Current account balance in South Africa was -0.4% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 1987.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -6.4% in 1971.
- How does South Africa rank for current account balance?
- South Africa ranks 86th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 90.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.