Trade in services as share of GDP in South Africa
South Africa: Trade in services as share of GDP was 9.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
9.3%
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
164th
of 198 countries
All-time high
9.7%
in 2008
All-time low
5.2%
in 1991
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Trade in services as share of GDP in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade in services as share of gdp in South Africa is 9.3%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 3.4% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services as share of gdp in South Africa peaked at 9.7% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1991.
That places South Africa 164th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Trade in services as share of GDP in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.7% | — |
| 1961 | 5.4% | -5.7% |
| 1962 | 5.5% | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 5.9% | +8.6% |
| 1964 | 5.8% | -2.5% |
| 1965 | 6.0% | +3.7% |
| 1966 | 6.0% | +0.7% |
| 1967 | 6.1% | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 6.1% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 6.1% | -0.4% |
| 1970 | 6.6% | +8.9% |
| 1971 | 7.1% | +6.5% |
| 1972 | 6.7% | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 6.5% | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 6.6% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 7.7% | +16.5% |
| 1976 | 6.8% | -11.9% |
| 1977 | 7.1% | +4.3% |
| 1978 | 7.3% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 7.1% | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 6.5% | -8.0% |
| 1981 | 7.0% | +7.5% |
| 1982 | 6.7% | -4.8% |
| 1983 | 5.7% | -14.5% |
| 1984 | 6.0% | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 6.3% | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 6.3% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 5.7% | -9.8% |
| 1988 | 5.5% | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 5.8% | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 5.8% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 5.2% | -9.9% |
| 1992 | 5.3% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 5.4% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 5.8% | +6.2% |
| 1995 | 6.2% | +7.1% |
| 1996 | 6.6% | +7.3% |
| 1997 | 6.8% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 7.2% | +7.1% |
| 1999 | 7.2% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 7.2% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 7.4% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 8.2% | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 8.5% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 8.0% | -5.3% |
| 2005 | 8.3% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 8.8% | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 9.2% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 9.7% | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 8.5% | -12.0% |
| 2010 | 8.5% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 8.8% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 9.0% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 9.0% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 9.4% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 8.7% | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 8.4% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | -28.9% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | -7.4% |
| 2022 | 7.7% | +40.2% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | +13.9% |
| 2024 | 9.0% | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 9.3% | +3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.9% | 5.4% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.0% | 6.5% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.2% | 5.5% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.1% | 5.2% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.4% | 7.2% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 8.3% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 5.5% | 9.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 161 Chile 9.8% compare
- 162 Nepal 9.6% compare
- 163 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 9.5% compare
- 165 Burkina Faso 9.1% compare
- 166 Afghanistan 9.0% compare
- 167 Côte d'Ivoire 9.0% 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)
- 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 trade in services as share of gdp in South Africa?
- Trade in services as share of gdp in South Africa was 9.3% in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest trade in services as share of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 2008.
- What is the lowest trade in services as share of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1991.
- How does South Africa rank for trade in services as share of gdp?
- South Africa ranks 164th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services as share of gdp rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Trade in services as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total services trade (exports and imports) divided by gross domestic product (GDP).