South Africa: Adjusted net national income per capita (constant 2015 US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, South Africa's adjusted net national income per capita (constant 2015 US$) rose US$250.96 on 2020 (from US$4,703 to US$4,954).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +US$54.2 and a typical year strayed about US$122.98 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$338.38 in 1973 and the biggest yearly fall was US$345 in 1985. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 6% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2021, South Africa had the 64th highest value of the 135 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to South Africa in the 2021 ranking

• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 61st of 135: US$5,278
• Peru — 62nd of 135: US$5,230
• Botswana — 63rd of 135: US$4,983
• North Macedonia — 65th of 135: US$4,938
• Belize — 66th of 135: US$4,621
• Albania — 67th of 135: US$4,554

What this measures

Adjusted net national income is GNI minus consumption of fixed capital and natural resources depletion. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate. This indicator is expressed in constant prices, meaning the series has been adjusted to account for price changes over time. The reference year for this adjustment is 2015. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Adjusted net national income differs from the adjustments made in the calculation of adjusted net savings, by not accounting for investments in human capital or the damages from pollution. Thus, adjusted net national income remains within the boundaries of the United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA). The SNA includes non-produced natural assets (such as land, mineral resources, and forests) within the asset boundary when they are under the effective control of institutional units. The calculation of adjusted net national income, which accounts for net forest, energy, and mineral depletion, as well as consumption of fixed capital, thus remains within the SNA boundaries.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 51 values

Adjusted net national income per capita (constant 2015 US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$2,162 (2021)
• Benin — US$1,053 (2021)
• Botswana — US$4,983 (2021)
• Burkina Faso — US$588.8 (2021)
• Cabo Verde — US$2,922 (2021)
• Cameroon — US$1,207 (2021)
• Central African Republic — US$370.78 (2021)
• Chad — US$429.05 (2021)
• Comoros — US$1,243 (2021)

More economic policy & debt data for South Africa

• Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
• Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
• Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — US$20.32 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) — US$126.24 billion (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of service imports, BoP) — 5.58% (2025)
• Goods imports (current US$, BoP) — US$104.47 billion (2025)
• Service imports (current US$, BoP) — US$21.77 billion (2025)
• Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) — US$1.74 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is South Africa's adjusted net national income per capita (constant 2015 US$)?

US$4,954 in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 39.15% from US$3,560 in 1971 (0.66% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$5,080 in 2017 and the lowest US$3,015 in 1986.

How does South Africa rank?

64th highest of 135 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in adjusted net national income per capita (constant 2015 US$) unusual for South Africa?

In 2021, South Africa's adjusted net national income per capita (constant 2015 US$) rose US$250.96 on 2020 (from US$4,703 to US$4,954). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +US$54.2 and a typical year strayed about US$122.98 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.ADJ.NNTY.PC.KD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); The Changing Wealth of Nations: Measuring Sustainable Development in the New Millennium, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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