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South Africa

76 series · 1653–2025 · Upper middle income · Sub-Saharan Africa

National accounts

VariableCodeCoverageLatest
Nominal GDPMillions of local currencynGDP1911–20257,677,596 (2025)
Nominal GDP (USD)Millions of US dollarsnGDP_USD1911–2025429,438 (2025)
Real GDPMillions of local currencyrGDP1804–20254,729,938 (2025)
Real GDP per capitaConstant local currency per personrGDP_pc1804–202574,201 (2025)
Real GDP (USD)Millions of US dollarsrGDP_USD1850–2025369,997 (2025)
DeflatorIndex, 2015 = 100deflator1911–2025162.3 (2025)
Real GDP per capita (USD)US dollars per personrGDP_pc_USD1850–20255,804 (2025)

Consumption and investment

VariableCodeCoverageLatest
Total consumptionMillions of local currencycons1946–20256,489,450 (2025)
Total consumption (% of GDP)Percent of GDPcons_GDP1946–202584.5 (2025)
Total consumption (USD)Millions of US dollarscons_USD1946–2025362,981 (2025)
Household consumptionMillions of local currencyhcons1946–20255,038,553 (2025)
Household consumption (% of GDP)Percent of GDPhcons_GDP1946–202565.6 (2025)
Household consumption (USD)Millions of US dollarshcons_USD1946–2025281,826 (2025)
Government consumptionMillions of local currencygcons1946–20251,450,762 (2025)
Government consumption (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgcons_GDP1946–202518.9 (2025)
Government consumption (USD)Millions of US dollarsgcons_USD1946–202581,147 (2025)
Gross capital formationMillions of local currencyinv1946–20251,145,887 (2025)
Gross capital formation (% of GDP)Percent of GDPinv_GDP1946–202514.9 (2025)
Gross capital formation (USD)Millions of US dollarsinv_USD1946–202564,094 (2025)
Gross fixed capital formationMillions of local currencyfinv1946–20251,087,485 (2025)
Gross fixed capital formation (% of GDP)Percent of GDPfinv_GDP1946–202514.2 (2025)
Gross fixed capital formation (USD)Millions of US dollarsfinv_USD1946–202560,827 (2025)

External sector

VariableCodeCoverageLatest
ExportsMillions of local currencyexports1826–20252,434,827 (2025)
Exports (% of GDP)Percent of GDPexports_GDP1911–202531.7 (2025)
Exports (USD)Millions of US dollarsexports_USD1900–2025136,190 (2025)
ImportsMillions of local currencyimports1826–20252,341,881 (2025)
Imports (% of GDP)Percent of GDPimports_GDP1911–202530.5 (2025)
Imports (USD)Millions of US dollarsimports_USD1900–2025130,991 (2025)
Current accountMillions of local currencyCA1923–2025-32,458 (2025)
Current account (% of GDP)Percent of GDPCA_GDP1923–2025-0.423 (2025)
USD exchange rateLocal currency per US dollarUSDfx1900–202517.9 (2025)
Real effective exchange rateIndex, 2015 = 100REER1960–202598.1 (2025)
Current account (USD)Millions of US dollarsCA_USD1923–2025-1,816 (2025)

Government finances

VariableCodeCoverageLatest
Government expenditureMillions of local currencygovexp1911–20252,622,614 (2025)
General government expenditureMillions of local currencygen_govexp1913–20252,622,614 (2025)
General government expenditure (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgen_govexp_GDP1913–202534.2 (2025)
Central government expenditureMillions of local currencycgovexp1911–20252,542,212 (2025)
Central government expenditure (% of GDP)Percent of GDPcgovexp_GDP1911–202533.1 (2025)
Government revenueMillions of local currencygovrev1911–20252,178,662 (2025)
General government revenueMillions of local currencygen_govrev1913–20252,178,662 (2025)
Central government revenueMillions of local currencycgovrev1911–20252,240,280 (2025)
General government revenue (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgen_govrev_GDP1913–202528.4 (2025)
Central government revenue (% of GDP)Percent of GDPcgovrev_GDP1911–202529.2 (2025)
Government tax revenueMillions of local currencygovtax1977–20252,042,608 (2025)
General government tax revenueMillions of local currencygen_govtax1977–20242,037,165 (2024)
Central government tax revenueMillions of local currencycgovtax1990–20252,042,608 (2025)
General government tax revenue (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgen_govtax_GDP1977–202427.6 (2024)
Central government tax revenue (% of GDP)Percent of GDPcgovtax_GDP1990–202526.6 (2025)
Government deficit (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgovdef_GDP1911–2025-5.78 (2025)
General government deficit (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgen_govdef_GDP1913–2025-5.78 (2025)
General government deficitMillions of local currencygen_govdef1913–2025-443,952 (2025)
Central government deficit (% of GDP)Percent of GDPcgovdef_GDP1911–2025-4.53 (2025)
Central government deficitMillions of local currencycgovdef1911–2025-348,046 (2025)
Government debt (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgovdebt_GDP1865–202578.6 (2025)
General government debt (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgen_govdebt_GDP1913–202578.6 (2025)
General government debtMillions of local currencygen_govdebt1913–20256,037,821 (2025)
Central government debt (% of GDP)Percent of GDPcgovdebt_GDP1865–202578.1 (2025)
Central government debtMillions of local currencycgovdebt1911–20255,992,526 (2025)
Government debtMillions of local currencygovdebt1911–20256,037,821 (2025)
Government deficitMillions of local currencygovdef1911–2025-443,952 (2025)
Government expenditure (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgovexp_GDP1911–202534.2 (2025)
Government revenue (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgovrev_GDP1911–202528.4 (2025)
Government tax revenue (% of GDP)Percent of GDPgovtax_GDP1977–202526.6 (2025)

Money and interest rates

VariableCodeCoverageLatest
Short-term interest ratePercentstrate1925–20257.18 (2025)
Long-term interest ratePercentltrate1937–202510.2 (2025)
Central bank policy ratePercentcbrate1930–20256.75 (2025)
M0 (monetary base)Millions of local currencyM01876–2025563,633 (2025)
M1Millions of local currencyM11948–20252,920,580 (2025)
M2Millions of local currencyM21948–20254,811,264 (2025)
M3Millions of local currencyM31965–20255,850,271 (2025)

Prices and labor markets

VariableCodeCoverageLatest
House price indexIndex, 2015 = 100HPI1966–2025140.2 (2025)
Real house price indexIndex, 2015 = 100rHPI1966–202587.3 (2025)
Consumer price indexIndex, 2015 = 100CPI1653–2025160.6 (2025)
InflationPercentinfl1653–20253.22 (2025)
PopulationMillions of peoplepop1700–202563.7 (2025)
Unemployment ratePercentunemp1980–202532.3 (2025)

Please cite: Müller, K., Xu, C., Lehbib, M., & Chen, Z. (2025). The Global Macro Database: A New International Macroeconomic Dataset. NBER Working Paper 33714. BibTeX →