Account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa
South Africa: Account ownership at a financial institution or with a was 84.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa, 2011–2024
Source: Global Findex Database, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of population ages 15+.
Analysis
The most recent figure for account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa is 84.8%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa peaked at 90.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 63.0%, in 2011.
South Africa ranks 55th of 102 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 63.0% | — |
| 2014 | 79.6% | +26.4% |
| 2017 | 73.6% | -7.6% |
| 2021 | 90.4% | +22.8% |
| 2024 | 84.8% | -6.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 84.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 76.2%, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 84.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 71.5%, 1.2× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 72.1% | 63.0% | 79.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.6% | 84.8% | 90.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More financial sector data for South Africa
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0021 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 13.81 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0.0607 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0015 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 10.08 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0021 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 13.81 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0.0607 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa?
- Account ownership at a financial institution or with a in South Africa was 84.8% in 2024, according to Global Findex Database, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest account ownership at a financial institution or with a recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 90.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest account ownership at a financial institution or with a recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.0% in 2011.
- How does South Africa rank for account ownership at a financial institution or with a?
- South Africa ranks 55th out of 102 countries with data for 2024.
- Is account ownership at a financial institution or with a rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global Findex Database, World Bank (WB), published as part of Account ownership at a financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider, richest 60% (% of population ages 15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Account denotes the percentage of respondents who report having an account (by themselves or together with someone else) at a bank or another type of financial institution or report personally using a mobile money service in the past 12 months (richest 60%, share of population ages 15+).