South Africa's net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) was US$8.25 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 285.13% from −US$4.46 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$8.25 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | US$15.08 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | −US$4.46 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$26.35 billion | 2021 |
| Lowest | −US$8.51 billion | 2013 |
| Average since 2016 | US$7.94 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | US$378 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, South Africa's net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) rose US$438.37 million on 2024 (from US$7.81 billion to US$8.25 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +US$158.36 million and a typical year strayed about US$5.6 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above 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 US$13.14 billion in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was US$17.34 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 8% 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 37th highest value of the 136 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
- Brazil — 34th of 136: US$9.09 billion
- Bahrain — 35th of 136: US$8.81 billion
- Costa Rica — 36th of 136: US$8.56 billion
- Angola — 38th of 136: US$6.76 billion
- Finland — 39th of 136: US$4.95 billion
- Azerbaijan — 40th of 136: US$4.72 billion
What this measures
The balance of international trade in goods and services is the difference between the exports and imports of goods and services. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
All 66 values
| Year | Net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,249,873,721 |
| 2024 | 7,811,501,899 |
| 2023 | 3,122,509,193 |
| 2022 | 9,009,915,064 |
| 2021 | 26,351,816,046 |
| 2020 | 15,079,234,261 |
| 2019 | 1,938,862,950 |
| 2018 | 1,986,405,031 |
| 2017 | 4,349,083,220 |
| 2016 | 1,533,892,059 |
Net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies
- Angola — US$6.76 billion (2025)
- Benin — −US$1.68 billion (2023)
- Botswana — −US$843.02 million (2025)
- Burkina Faso — −US$547.37 million (2024)
- Burundi — −US$946.66 million (2025)
- Cabo Verde — −US$352.91 million (2025)
- Cameroon — −US$1.58 billion (2024)
- Comoros — −US$355.58 million (2023)
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — −US$1.56 billion (2025)
- Congo, Rep.
More economic policy & debt data for South Africa
- Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
- Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
- Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — 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 trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP)?
- US$8.25 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 2,083% from US$378 million in 1960 (4.86% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$26.35 billion in 2021 and the lowest −US$8.51 billion in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 37th highest of 136 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) unusual for South Africa?
- In 2025, South Africa's net trade in goods and services (current US$, BoP) rose US$438.37 million on 2024 (from US$7.81 billion to US$8.25 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +US$158.36 million and a typical year strayed about US$5.6 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above 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 BN.GSR.GNFS.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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