Total factor productivity in South Africa
South Africa: Total factor productivity was 0.9273 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
0.9273
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
114th
of 120 countries
All-time high
1.13
in 1981
All-time low
0.7718
in 1954
Years of data
70
1954–2023
Total factor productivity in South Africa, 1954–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, total factor productivity in South Africa stood at 0.9273.
That represents a change of down 4.1% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total factor productivity in South Africa peaked at 1.13 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.7718, in 1954.
South Africa ranks 114th of 120 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 70 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.7963 | 0.7718 | 0.8206 | 6 |
| 1960s | 0.9424 | 0.8257 | 1.04 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.07 | 1.05 | 1.1 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.04 | 0.9816 | 1.13 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9543 | 0.939 | 0.9731 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.04 | 0.9621 | 1.09 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.01 | 0.9494 | 1.05 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9727 | 0.9273 | 1 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of gdp 1.91 (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 3.21 (2025)
- Gdp per capita worldbank constant usd 5,713 (2025)
- Manufacturing value added to gdp 12.25 (2025)
- Gdp worldbank constant usd 369.91 billion (2025)
- Gdp per capita in international and market dollars 5,713 (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 17.89 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -34.59 billion current LCU (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) -1.93 billion current US$ (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products 765.44 billion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total factor productivity in South Africa?
- Total factor productivity in South Africa was 0.9273 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total factor productivity recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.13 in 1981.
- What is the lowest total factor productivity recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7718 in 1954.
- How does South Africa rank for total factor productivity?
- South Africa ranks 114th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total factor productivity rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Total factor productivity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 70 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).