Service imports in South Africa
South Africa: Service imports was 21.77 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
21.77 billion BoP, current US$
Change on year
up 8.6%
World rank
50th
of 199 countries
All-time high
21.77 billion BoP, current US$
in 2025
All-time low
240.80 million BoP, current US$
in 1961
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Service imports in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in BoP, current US$.
Analysis
In 2025, service imports in South Africa stood at 21.77 billion BoP, current US$. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 8.6% on the previous year and up 38.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, service imports in South Africa peaked at 21.77 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 240.80 million BoP, current US$, in 1961.
That places South Africa 50th out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Service imports in South Africa, year by year
| Year | BoP, current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 250.60 million BoP, current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 240.80 million BoP, current US$ | -3.9% |
| 1962 | 267.40 million BoP, current US$ | +11.0% |
| 1963 | 341.60 million BoP, current US$ | +27.7% |
| 1964 | 382.20 million BoP, current US$ | +11.9% |
| 1965 | 456.40 million BoP, current US$ | +19.4% |
| 1966 | 480.20 million BoP, current US$ | +5.2% |
| 1967 | 540.40 million BoP, current US$ | +12.5% |
| 1968 | 576.80 million BoP, current US$ | +6.7% |
| 1969 | 665.00 million BoP, current US$ | +15.3% |
| 1970 | 817.60 million BoP, current US$ | +22.9% |
| 1971 | 947.87 million BoP, current US$ | +15.9% |
| 1972 | 904.79 million BoP, current US$ | -4.5% |
| 1973 | 1.18 billion BoP, current US$ | +29.9% |
| 1974 | 1.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +27.6% |
| 1975 | 1.84 billion BoP, current US$ | +22.5% |
| 1976 | 1.52 billion BoP, current US$ | -17.1% |
| 1977 | 1.80 billion BoP, current US$ | +18.4% |
| 1978 | 2.11 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.7% |
| 1979 | 2.46 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.6% |
| 1980 | 3.37 billion BoP, current US$ | +37.1% |
| 1981 | 3.95 billion BoP, current US$ | +17.2% |
| 1982 | 3.43 billion BoP, current US$ | -13.1% |
| 1983 | 3.22 billion BoP, current US$ | -6.1% |
| 1984 | 2.93 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.9% |
| 1985 | 2.28 billion BoP, current US$ | -22.3% |
| 1986 | 2.73 billion BoP, current US$ | +19.9% |
| 1987 | 3.18 billion BoP, current US$ | +16.4% |
| 1988 | 3.28 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 3.40 billion BoP, current US$ | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 3.82 billion BoP, current US$ | +12.5% |
| 1991 | 3.83 billion BoP, current US$ | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 4.37 billion BoP, current US$ | +14.3% |
| 1993 | 4.72 billion BoP, current US$ | +7.9% |
| 1994 | 5.10 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.1% |
| 1995 | 5.98 billion BoP, current US$ | +17.3% |
| 1996 | 5.75 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 6.01 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 5.67 billion BoP, current US$ | -5.7% |
| 1999 | 5.77 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 5.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 5.24 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.4% |
| 2002 | 5.50 billion BoP, current US$ | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 8.04 billion BoP, current US$ | +46.1% |
| 2004 | 10.33 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.4% |
| 2005 | 12.15 billion BoP, current US$ | +17.7% |
| 2006 | 14.01 billion BoP, current US$ | +15.3% |
| 2007 | 16.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +14.6% |
| 2008 | 16.81 billion BoP, current US$ | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 15.13 billion BoP, current US$ | -10.0% |
| 2010 | 19.41 billion BoP, current US$ | +28.3% |
| 2011 | 20.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 18.71 billion BoP, current US$ | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 17.98 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 17.14 billion BoP, current US$ | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 15.72 billion BoP, current US$ | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 15.30 billion BoP, current US$ | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 16.60 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 16.97 billion BoP, current US$ | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 16.45 billion BoP, current US$ | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 11.31 billion BoP, current US$ | -31.3% |
| 2021 | 13.71 billion BoP, current US$ | +21.2% |
| 2022 | 18.40 billion BoP, current US$ | +34.2% |
| 2023 | 18.85 billion BoP, current US$ | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 20.05 billion BoP, current US$ | +6.3% |
| 2025 | 21.77 billion BoP, current US$ | +8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 420.14 million BoP, current US$ | 240.80 million BoP, current US$ | 665.00 million BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.51 billion BoP, current US$ | 817.60 million BoP, current US$ | 2.46 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.18 billion BoP, current US$ | 2.28 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.95 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.10 billion BoP, current US$ | 3.82 billion BoP, current US$ | 6.01 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.91 billion BoP, current US$ | 5.24 billion BoP, current US$ | 16.81 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.49 billion BoP, current US$ | 15.30 billion BoP, current US$ | 20.60 billion BoP, current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.35 billion BoP, current US$ | 11.31 billion BoP, current US$ | 21.77 billion BoP, current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 47 Cyprus 25.30 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 48 Ukraine 23.09 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 49 Chile 21.95 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 51 New Zealand 20.28 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 52 Nigeria 19.64 billion BoP, current US$ compare
- 53 Colombia 19.63 billion BoP, current US$ 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)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.8659 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 5,713 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per unit of GDP 11.04 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per capita 72,846 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate 0.5972 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1528 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is service imports in South Africa?
- Service imports in South Africa was 21.77 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest service imports recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 21.77 billion BoP, current US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest service imports recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 240.80 million BoP, current US$ in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for service imports?
- South Africa ranks 50th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is service imports rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.5%. 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 Service imports (BoP, current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Imports of services are services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.