External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per square kilometre was 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1994–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in DOD, current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre for external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre in 2023.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 157,241 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre in 2019 and was at its lowest, 17,864 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre, in 1994.
That places South Africa 52nd out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 17,864 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1995 | 20,904 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 21,474 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 25,253 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +17.6% |
| 1998 | 21,445 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -15.1% |
| 1999 | 21,202 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 21,984 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2001 | 21,169 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 28,934 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +36.7% |
| 2003 | 33,067 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +14.3% |
| 2004 | 36,282 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 37,174 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 47,768 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +28.5% |
| 2007 | 60,022 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +25.7% |
| 2008 | 61,233 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 69,562 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +13.6% |
| 2010 | 95,071 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +36.7% |
| 2011 | 102,339 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +7.6% |
| 2012 | 121,978 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +19.2% |
| 2013 | 116,769 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 123,098 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 105,312 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -14.4% |
| 2016 | 118,754 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +12.8% |
| 2017 | 144,280 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +21.5% |
| 2018 | 148,541 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 157,241 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 144,612 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 139,682 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 141,566 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | -3.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 272,853 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre, 50% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 39,079 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre, 3.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21,357 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 17,864 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 25,253 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 6 |
| 2000s | 41,719 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 21,169 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 69,562 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 123,338 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 95,071 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 157,241 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 140,642 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 144,612 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 49 Samoa 155,574 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 50 Djibouti 147,921 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 51 Uzbekistan 139,725 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 53 Gambia 130,912 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 54 Cambodia 127,655 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 55 Nicaragua 127,642 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre compare
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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.87 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0145 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 95.75 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 1.77 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0106 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 69.91 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate -28.9 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0077 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre in South Africa?
- External debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre in South Africa was 136,708 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 157,241 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre in 2019.
- What is the lowest external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,864 DOD, current US$ per square kilometre in 1994.
- How does South Africa rank for external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 52nd out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external debt stocks, total (dod, current us$), per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- External debt stocks, total International Debt Statistics, World Bank (WB)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
External debt stocks, total (DOD, current US$) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.