South Africa's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) was 145.9 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 353.99% from -57.44 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 145.9 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 244.33 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | -57.44 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 385.97 billion | 2021 |
| Lowest | -81.88 billion | 2013 |
| Average since 2016 | 125.43 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 270 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, South Africa's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) rose 3.48 billion on 2024 (from 142.42 billion to 145.9 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.39 billion and a typical year strayed about 74.48 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 215.85 billion in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 243.86 billion in 2022. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 14% 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 2025, South Africa had the 28th highest value of the 137 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 2025 ranking
- Ireland — 25th of 137: 256.59 billion
- Macao SAR, China — 26th of 137: 189.92 billion
- Uruguay — 27th of 137: 155.59 billion
- Sweden — 29th of 137: 139.42 billion
- Netherlands — 30th of 137: 132.32 billion
- Djibouti — 31st of 137: 120.74 billion
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.
All 66 values
| Year | External balance on goods and services (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 145,904,171,000 |
| 2024 | 142,420,156,300 |
| 2023 | 58,254,317,600 |
| 2022 | 142,114,588,400 |
| 2021 | 385,972,931,800 |
| 2020 | 244,325,848,600 |
| 2019 | 28,478,305,800 |
| 2018 | 27,273,388,000 |
| 2017 | 58,105,651,200 |
| 2016 | 21,461,727,900 |
External balance on goods and services (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Angola — 14.62 trillion (2025)
- Benin — -430.6 billion (2025)
- Botswana — -14.74 billion (2025)
- Burkina Faso — 800.13 billion (2025)
- Cabo Verde — -34.03 billion (2025)
- Cameroon — -2.47 trillion (2025)
- Central African Republic — -253.67 billion (2025)
- Chad — 1.59 trillion (2025)
- Comoros — -176.53 billion (2025)
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
Questions people ask
- What is South Africa's external balance on goods and services (current LCU)?
- 145.9 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 53,939% from 270 million in 1960 (10.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 385.97 billion in 2021 and the lowest -81.88 billion in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 28th highest of 137 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in external balance on goods and services (current LCU) unusual for South Africa?
- In 2025, South Africa's external balance on goods and services (current LCU) rose 3.48 billion on 2024 (from 142.42 billion to 145.9 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.39 billion and a typical year strayed about 74.48 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NE.RSB.GNFS.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, 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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