South Africa's external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) was US$121.43 billion in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 16.43% from US$104.29 billion in 2014 (1.53% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$121.43 billion | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | US$143.78 billion | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | US$104.29 billion | 2014 |
| Highest | US$143.78 billion | 2019 |
| Lowest | US$13.04 billion | 1994 |
| Average since 2015 | US$120.52 billion | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | US$13.04 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2024, South Africa's external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) rose 6.8% on 2023 (from US$113.72 billion to US$121.43 billion).
Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +9.3% and a typical year strayed about 18.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 56.9% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 24.5% in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 9% 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 2024, South Africa had the 12th highest value of the 118 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | US$121.43 billion | 2024 |
| Upper middle income | US$4.14 trillion | 2024 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2024 ranking
- Ukraine — 8th of 118: US$156.25 billion
- Argentina — 9th of 118: US$146.6 billion
- Kazakhstan — 10th of 118: US$146.05 billion
- Thailand — 12th of 118: US$117.16 billion
- Philippines — 13th of 118: US$112.43 billion
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 14th of 118: US$109.86 billion
What this measures
Long-term debt is debt that has an original or extended maturity of more than one year. It has three components: public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed debt. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 31 values
| Year | External debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 121,432,612,760 |
| 2023 | 113,719,421,862 |
| 2022 | 118,453,873,071 |
| 2021 | 122,293,109,571 |
| 2020 | 131,384,413,013 |
| 2019 | 143,782,980,227 |
| 2018 | 129,843,149,372 |
| 2017 | 131,596,376,357 |
| 2016 | 104,458,355,499 |
| 2015 | 88,254,468,869 |
External debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$47.86 billion (2024)
- Benin — US$11.71 billion (2024)
- Botswana — US$1.85 billion (2024)
- Burkina Faso — US$10.19 billion (2024)
- Burundi — US$601.23 million (2024)
- Cabo Verde — US$1.85 billion (2024)
- Cameroon — US$12.79 billion (2024)
- Central African Republic — US$438.78 million (2024)
- Chad — US$2.44 billion (2024)
- Comoros
More economic policy & debt data for South Africa
- Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
- Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
- Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — 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 debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$)?
- US$121.43 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1994?
- It is up 831.59% from US$13.04 billion in 1994 (7.72% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$143.78 billion in 2019 and the lowest US$13.04 billion in 1994.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 12th highest of 118 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) unusual for South Africa?
- In 2024, South Africa's external debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$) rose 6.8% on 2023 (from US$113.72 billion to US$121.43 billion). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +9.3% and a typical year strayed about 18.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 DT.DOD.DLXF.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Debt Statistics, 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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