South Africa

Economy

• GDP

  : 427.2 B$ (2025)

• GDP per capita

  : 6598 $ (2025)

• GDP growth

  : 1.1 % (2025)

• GDP, PPP

  : 1.03 T$ (2025)

• GDP per capita, PPP

  : 15906 $ (2025)

• Price level (relative cost of living)

  : 0.41 (2024)

• Inflation

  : 3.2 % (2025)

• Unemployment

  : 32.4 % (2025)

• Youth unemployment (ages 15-24)

  : 59.9 % (2025)

• Exports

  : 31.4 % (2025)

• Imports

  : 29.5 % (2025)

• Trade balance (goods and services)

  : 8.2 B$ (2025)

• Current account balance

  : -0.4 % (2025)

• Total reserves

  : 76.0 B$ (2025)

• Foreign direct investment

  : -0.5 % (2025)

• Poverty rate

  : 17.4 % (2022)

• Agriculture

  : 2.8 % (2025)

• Industry

  : 24.1 % (2025)

• Services

  : 63.1 % (2025)

• Remittances received

  : 0.2 % (2025)

• Outward foreign direct investment

  : -0.9 % (2025)

• Retail sales

  : 1.6 % (2026)

Demographics

• Population

  : 64.7 M (2025)

• Population growth

  : 1.1 % (2025)

• Net migration

  : 146 370 (2025)

• Population density

  : 52.1 (2023)

• Life expectancy

  : 66.3 yrs (2024)

• Fertility rate

  : 2.21 (2024)

• Birth rate

  : 18.5 (2024)

• Death rate

  : 9.24 (2024)

• Urban population

  : 63.8 % (2025)

• Rural population

  : 36.2 % (2025)

• Labor force

  : 26.7 M (2025)

• Infant mortality (under one year)

  : 2.8 % (2023)

• Age dependency ratio

  : 48.4 % (2023)

• Share of women in the population

  : 51.3 % (2025)

• Refugee population hosted

  : 71 171 (2024)

Social

• Education expenditure

  : 6.0 % (2024)

• Health expenditure

  : 8.9 % (2023)

• Gini index

  : 54.1 (2022)

• Internet users

  : 78.4 % (2024)

• Mobile subscriptions

  : 179.3 (2024)

• Access to electricity

  : 90.2 % (2024)

• Access to basic drinking water

  : 90.2 % (2024)

• Median income

  : 7 $ (2022)

• Income share of the top 10%

  : 42.1 % (2022)

• Primary school completion

  : 97.1 % (2025)

• Mean years of schooling

  : 11.6 yrs (2023)

• Harmonised learning outcomes

  : 342.8 (2020)

• Bank account ownership

  : 61.0 % (2024)

• Labour force participation (ages 25-64)

  : 65.5 % (2025)

• Gender pay gap

  : 9.5 % (2019)

Defense

• Armed forces personnel

  : 89 000 (2020)

• Military expenditure

  : 0.7 % (2024)

• Battle-related deaths

  : 361.0 (1989)

• Death rate from armed conflicts

  : 0.00 (2025)

Environment

• CO₂ per capita

  : 6.88 (2024)

• CO₂ (consumption-based) per capita

  : 4.53 (2022)

• Renewable energy

  : 9.7 % (2021)

• Renewable electricity production

  : 6.4 % (2021)

• Energy consumption

  : 1 939 (2023)

• Forest area

  : 14.0 % (2023)

• Threatened bird species

  : 54.0 (2022)

• Threatened fish species

  : 153.0 (2022)

• Threatened mammal species

  : 33.0 (2022)

• Electricity from coal

  : 81.4 % (2025)

• Electricity from gas

  : 0.0 % (2025)

• Electricity from hydropower

  : 0.8 % (2025)

• Electricity from nuclear

  : 4.2 % (2025)

• Electricity from solar

  : 8.0 % (2025)

• Electricity from wind

  : 4.7 % (2025)

• Greenhouse gases per capita

  : 7.94 (2024)

• Greenhouse gases (total)

  : 508.2 M (2024)

• Fine particulate exposure (PM2.5)

  : 24.4 (2024)

• Tree cover loss

  : 27 424 (2025)

• Renewables regulatory framework (RISE)

  : 54.0 (2023)

• Forest area (absolute)

  : 17 050 (2020)

Health

• DTP3 immunization coverage

  : 74.0 % (2024)

• Measles immunization coverage

  : 76.0 % (2024)

• Under-five mortality

  : 35.1 (2024)

• Maternal mortality ratio

  : 118.0 (2023)

• Non-communicable disease mortality (ages 30-70)

  : 22.7 % (2021)

• Hypertension prevalence (ages 30-79)

  : 44.3 % (2019)

• Adult obesity prevalence

  : 45.8 % (2022)

• Diabetes prevalence (ages 20-79)

  : 7.2 % (2024)

• Smoking prevalence, adults (age-standardized)

  : 23.7 % (2024)

• Universal health coverage

  : 74.0 (2023)

• HIV prevalence (ages 15-49)

  : 17.2 % (2024)

• Physicians

  : 0.79 (2022)

• Hospital beds

  : 2.25 (2010)

• Adolescent fertility (ages 15-19)

  : 51.8 (2024)

Public finances

• Government expenditure

  : 33.4 % (2022)

• Fiscal balance

  : -4.8 % (2024)

• General government debt

  : 71.1 % (2022)

• Primary balance

  : -0.2 % (2022)

Governance

• Control of corruption

  : -0.19 (2024)

• Government effectiveness

  : -0.23 (2024)

• Intentional homicides

  : 43.7 (2022)

• Political stability

  : -0.62 (2024)

• Rule of law

  : 0.02 (2024)

• Regulatory quality

  : -0.06 (2024)

• Voice and accountability

  : 0.61 (2024)

• Political regime

  : 2.00 (2025)

• Free and fair elections

  : 1.00 (2025)

Business

• Investment (gross fixed capital formation)

  : 13.9 % (2025)

• New business density

  : 11.5 (2024)

• Credit to the private sector

  : 112.0 % (2020)

• Non-performing bank loans

  : 5.2 % (2020)

• Inward foreign direct investment (amount)

  : -2.2 B$ (2025)

Consumption

• Household consumption

  : 65.8 % (2025)

• Gross national savings

  : 12.9 % (2025)

Well-being

• Self-reported life satisfaction

  : 5.01 (2025)