Expense in South Africa
South Africa: Expense was 33.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expense in South Africa, 1972–2022
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expense in South Africa is 33.4%, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and up 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in South Africa peaked at 37.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 15.1%, in 1973.
South Africa ranks 45th of 157 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Expense in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15.5% | — |
| 1973 | 15.1% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 16.0% | +6.4% |
| 1975 | 17.6% | +9.8% |
| 1976 | 18.5% | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 18.9% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 19.0% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 19.3% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 17.7% | -8.3% |
| 1981 | 18.7% | +6.1% |
| 1982 | 20.7% | +10.7% |
| 1983 | 22.4% | +8.2% |
| 1984 | 22.6% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 24.0% | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 25.2% | +5.0% |
| 1987 | 25.4% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 25.7% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 25.0% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 25.4% | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 24.9% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 27.9% | +12.0% |
| 1993 | 29.2% | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 25.8% | -11.5% |
| 1995 | 26.1% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 27.0% | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 25.8% | -4.5% |
| 1998 | 25.7% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 25.3% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 24.4% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 24.3% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 23.7% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 24.8% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 25.6% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 25.6% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 25.8% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 26.1% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 27.2% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 29.1% | +7.1% |
| 2010 | 29.6% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 31.1% | +5.0% |
| 2012 | 30.4% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 31.3% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 31.9% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 33.7% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 32.2% | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 33.3% | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 34.0% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 34.7% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 37.8% | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 34.6% | -8.5% |
| 2022 | 33.4% | -3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.5% | 15.1% | 19.3% | 8 |
| 1980s | 22.8% | 17.7% | 25.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.3% | 24.9% | 29.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.7% | 23.7% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.2% | 29.6% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.3% | 33.4% | 37.8% | 3 |
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)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1225 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 808.52 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 2.19 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 14,463 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0949 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 626.22 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 7,985 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 5.53 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in South Africa?
- Expense in South Africa was 33.4% in 2022, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 37.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.1% in 1973.
- How does South Africa rank for expense?
- South Africa ranks 45th out of 157 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expense rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. 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.