Trade in South Africa
South Africa: Trade was 60.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Trade in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade in South Africa is 60.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in South Africa peaked at 66.0% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 34.3%, in 1992.
That places South Africa 134th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Trade in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 46.9% | — |
| 1961 | 43.7% | -6.6% |
| 1962 | 43.4% | -0.9% |
| 1963 | 45.0% | +3.7% |
| 1964 | 45.9% | +2.2% |
| 1965 | 45.5% | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 42.1% | -7.5% |
| 1967 | 42.5% | +0.9% |
| 1968 | 41.3% | -2.8% |
| 1969 | 39.6% | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 39.8% | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 40.5% | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 40.8% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 41.2% | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 48.8% | +18.6% |
| 1975 | 49.8% | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 48.9% | -1.9% |
| 1977 | 48.2% | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 51.0% | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 54.1% | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 56.5% | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 52.2% | -7.6% |
| 1982 | 47.1% | -9.7% |
| 1983 | 40.3% | -14.6% |
| 1984 | 43.4% | +7.8% |
| 1985 | 47.9% | +10.5% |
| 1986 | 46.6% | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 45.0% | -3.6% |
| 1988 | 45.9% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 42.7% | -6.9% |
| 1990 | 38.2% | -10.5% |
| 1991 | 34.9% | -8.7% |
| 1992 | 34.3% | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 35.7% | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 37.1% | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 39.5% | +6.4% |
| 1996 | 42.2% | +6.9% |
| 1997 | 42.3% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 44.0% | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 42.3% | -4.0% |
| 2000 | 46.2% | +9.4% |
| 2001 | 49.2% | +6.4% |
| 2002 | 53.5% | +8.7% |
| 2003 | 45.7% | -14.5% |
| 2004 | 45.6% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 47.4% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 53.8% | +13.4% |
| 2007 | 57.1% | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 66.0% | +15.5% |
| 2009 | 49.6% | -24.8% |
| 2010 | 50.4% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 54.6% | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 55.6% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 58.9% | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 59.5% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 56.7% | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 55.9% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 53.5% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 54.5% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 53.9% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 50.8% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 56.2% | +10.6% |
| 2022 | 64.9% | +15.6% |
| 2023 | 65.7% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 61.6% | -6.1% |
| 2025 | 60.9% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 43.6% | 39.6% | 46.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 39.8% | 54.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.8% | 40.3% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.1% | 34.3% | 44.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.4% | 45.6% | 66.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.4% | 50.4% | 59.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.0% | 50.8% | 65.7% | 6 |
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)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 4.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1387 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 915.19 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 2.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 2.48 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 16,372 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 0.7139 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.1196 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in South Africa?
- Trade in South Africa was 60.9% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest trade recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2008.
- What is the lowest trade recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.3% in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for trade?
- South Africa ranks 134th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of Trade (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Trade is the sum of exports and imports of goods and services. 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.