Republic of South Africa

Analyst Library· Aug 2026

Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative)AfricaAfrikaans, English, NdebeleSouth African Rand (ZAR)

Official Data — Live Indicators

GDP Growth (annual %)

1.11

· 2025

World Bank Open Data

Inflation (CPI, % annual)

3.21

· 2025

World Bank Open Data

Unemployment Rate (%)

32.39

· 2025

World Bank Open Data

Total Population

64.7M

· 2025

World Bank Open Data

GDP per Capita (US$)

6,597.71

· 2025

World Bank Open Data

Fetched from official statistical APIs (World Bank, OECD) — no AI estimation.

Overview

South Africa is a middle-income country located at the southern tip of Africa, known for its diverse geography, rich natural resources, and a multiethnic population. Historically marked by apartheid, the country transitioned to a multiracial democracy in 1994. It plays a significant role in regional African affairs and has a climate ranging from subtropical to semi-arid. The government is actively addressing climate change with initiatives like the Climate Change Act, aiming to foster a low-carbon economy.

Economy

gdp nominal

$405.9 billion (2024_as_of)

gdp ppp

$968.7 billion (2024_as_of)

gdp rank

gdp per capita

$6,712 (2024_as_of)

gdp growth rate

-0.7% (2024), 1.18% (2026)

inflation rate

3.1% (2026)

unemployment rate

32.9% (2025)

debt to gdp

73.8% (2023_as_of)

fiscal deficit

-4.2% of GDP (2023_as_of)

major industries

Mining (gold, diamonds, platinum, coal), Automotive, Textiles, Food processing, Chemicals, Information technology

top exports

Platinum, Gold, Diamonds, Coal, Iron ore

top imports

Machinery, Petroleum products, Chemicals, Transport equipment, Manufactured goods

Demographics

population

65543498

population rank

population growth rate

1.09% (2026)

median age

28.9 years (2026)

urbanization rate

66.92% (2026)

life expectancy

64.8 years (2021)_as_of

fertility rate

2.17 births per woman (2026)

literacy rate

95.51% (males), 93.13% (females)

ethnic groups

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religions

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age distribution

0 14: 27.8% (2020_as_of) · 15 64: 66.5% (2020_as_of) · 65 plus: 5.7% (2020_as_of)

Full analyst report

Government & Politics

Trade & Investment

Infrastructure

Education & Healthcare

Environment

Geopolitics & Security