South Africa's PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$) was US$6.41 billion in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 11.96% from US$5.73 billion in 2014 (1.14% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | US$6.41 billion | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | US$11.69 billion | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | US$5.73 billion | 2014 |
| Highest | US$14.82 billion | 2012 |
| Lowest | −US$10.1 billion | 2015 |
| Average since 2015 | US$1.31 billion | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | US$1.5 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2024, South Africa's PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$) rose US$8.72 billion on 2023 (from −US$2.31 billion to US$6.41 billion).
Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was −US$131.45 million and a typical year strayed about US$7.7 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$20.19 billion in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was US$15.99 billion in 2018. 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 1% 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 4th highest value of the 59 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$6.41 billion | 2024 |
| Upper middle income | US$29.75 billion | 2024 |
Closest to South Africa in the 2024 ranking
What this measures
Public and publicly guaranteed debt from bonds that are either publicly issued or privately placed. Net flows (or net lending or net disbursements) received by the borrower during the year are disbursements minus principal repayments. Data are in current U.S. dollars.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 31 values
| Year | PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 6,412,624,000 |
| 2023 | -2,308,963,000 |
| 2022 | -4,297,908,000 |
| 2021 | -3,350,079,000 |
| 2020 | -3,648,134,000 |
| 2019 | 11,687,000,000 |
| 2018 | -3,677,962,000 |
| 2017 | 12,316,818,000 |
| 2016 | 10,089,142,000 |
| 2015 | -10,098,663,000 |
| 2014 |
PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$) in nearby economies
- Benin — US$515.57 million (2024)
- Cameroon — −US$47.1 million (2024)
- Congo, Rep. — −US$27.23 million (2024)
- Côte d'Ivoire — US$2.22 billion (2024)
- Gabon — −US$314.44 million (2024)
- Ghana — −US$165.74 million (2024)
- Kenya — −US$500 million (2024)
- Mauritius — US$1.59 million (2024)
- Nigeria — US$2.2 billion (2024)
- Rwanda — −US$19.15 million (2024)
- Senegal — US$927.41 million (2024)
More economic policy & debt data for South Africa
- Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
- Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
- Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — 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 PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$)?
- US$6.41 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1994?
- It is up 326.59% from US$1.5 billion in 1994 (4.95% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$14.82 billion in 2012 and the lowest −US$10.1 billion in 2015.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 4th highest of 59 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$) unusual for South Africa?
- In 2024, South Africa's PPG, bonds (NFL, current US$) rose US$8.72 billion on 2023 (from −US$2.31 billion to US$6.41 billion). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2023), the average change was −US$131.45 million and a typical year strayed about US$7.7 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.NFL.PBND.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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