South Africa's external debt stocks, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$) was US$23.62 billion in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 43.25% from US$41.62 billion in 2014 (5.51% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$23.62 billion | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | US$41.72 billion | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | US$41.62 billion | 2014 |
| Highest | US$47.78 billion | 2011 |
| Lowest | US$2.41 billion | 1997 |
| Average since 2015 | US$32.7 billion | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | US$5.25 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2024, South Africa's external debt stocks, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$) fell 2.4% on 2023 (from US$24.19 billion to US$23.62 billion).
Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +9.4% and a typical year strayed about 31.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 97.7% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 39.5% in 1997. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about US$1.76 billion a year. A straight line explains 58% of the movement over 10 observed years.
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 19th highest value of the 86 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$23.62 billion | 2024 |
| Upper middle income | US$1.94 trillion | 2024 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2024 ranking
What this measures
Private nonguaranteed external debt comprises long-term external obligations of private debtors that are not guaranteed for repayment by a public entity. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 31 values
| Year | External debt stocks, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 23,619,214,000 |
| 2023 | 24,193,700,000 |
| 2022 | 27,208,935,000 |
| 2021 | 27,105,874,809 |
| 2020 | 31,938,744,349 |
| 2019 | 41,719,419,888 |
| 2018 | 41,165,781,598 |
| 2017 | 40,953,521,245 |
| 2016 | 34,765,533,566 |
| 2015 | 34,333,389,225 |
External debt stocks, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$1.75 billion (2024)
- Benin — US$2.79 billion (2024)
- Botswana — US$0 (2023)
- Burkina Faso — US$5.07 billion (2024)
- Cameroon — US$271.23 million (2024)
- Côte d'Ivoire — US$239.97 million (2024)
- Eswatini — US$102.34 million (2024)
- Ghana — US$4.55 billion (2024)
- Guinea-Bissau
More economic policy & debt data for South Africa
- Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
- Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
- Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — 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, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$)?
- US$23.62 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1994?
- It is up 350.23% from US$5.25 billion in 1994 (5.14% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$47.78 billion in 2011 and the lowest US$2.41 billion in 1997.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 19th highest of 86 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in external debt stocks, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$) unusual for South Africa?
- In 2024, South Africa's external debt stocks, private nonguaranteed (PNG) (DOD, current US$) fell 2.4% on 2023 (from US$24.19 billion to US$23.62 billion). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was +9.4% and a typical year strayed about 31.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.DPNG.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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