South Africa's net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$) was US$378.53 million in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 9,024% from US$4.15 million in 2014 (57.04% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$378.53 million | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | US$895.97 million | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | US$4.15 million | 2014 |
| Highest | US$1.05 billion | 2017 |
| Lowest | US$1.78 million | 2010 |
| Average since 2015 | US$458.97 million | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | US$6.24 million |
What the numbers say
In 2024, South Africa's net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$) rose 233% on 2023 (from US$113.69 million to US$378.53 million).
Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was +398.2% and a typical year strayed about 1,394.1% 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 6,489.7% in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 76% in 2014. 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 2% 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 15th highest value of the 116 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$378.53 million | 2024 |
| Upper middle income | US$1.12 billion | 2024 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2024 ranking
What this measures
Bilateral debt includes loans from governments and their agencies (including central banks), loans from autonomous bodies, and direct loans from official export credit agencies. Net flows (or net lending or net disbursements) received by the borrower during the year are disbursements minus principal repayments. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 26 values
| Year | Net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 378,530,837 |
| 2023 | 113,688,525 |
| 2022 | 444,754,079 |
| 2021 | 341,606,097 |
| 2020 | 586,510,383 |
| 2019 | 895,966,371 |
| 2018 | 417,898,025 |
| 2017 | 1,050,095,821 |
| 2016 | 87,263,275 |
| 2015 | 273,398,554 |
Net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$) in nearby economies
- Angola — −US$711.76 million (2024)
- Benin — US$284.77 million (2024)
- Botswana — −US$2.2 million (2024)
- Burkina Faso — −US$17.8 million (2024)
- Burundi — US$15.85 million (2024)
- Cabo Verde — −US$23.54 million (2024)
- Cameroon — −US$349.55 million (2024)
- Central African Republic — −US$2.93 million (2024)
- Chad — US$482.88 million (2024)
- Comoros
More economic policy & debt data for South Africa
- Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
- Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
- Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — 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 net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$)?
- US$378.53 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1999?
- It is up 5,968% from US$6.24 million in 1999 (17.85% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$1.05 billion in 2017 and the lowest US$1.78 million in 2010.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 15th highest of 116 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$) unusual for South Africa?
- In 2024, South Africa's net financial flows, bilateral (NFL, current US$) rose 233% on 2023 (from US$113.69 million to US$378.53 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was +398.2% and a typical year strayed about 1,394.1% 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.NFL.BLAT.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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