Bank capital to assets ratio in South Africa
South Africa: Bank capital to assets ratio was 7.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Bank capital to assets ratio in South Africa, 2008–2024
Source: Financial Soundness Indicators, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 7.8% for bank capital to assets ratio in 2024.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, bank capital to assets ratio in South Africa peaked at 8.2% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2008.
South Africa ranks 100th of 147 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Bank capital to assets ratio in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 5.5% | — |
| 2009 | 6.2% | +14.3% |
| 2010 | 6.8% | +8.9% |
| 2011 | 6.8% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 7.6% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 7.2% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 7.1% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | +7.4% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | +7.2% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 8.1% | +6.3% |
| 2022 | 7.6% | -5.8% |
| 2023 | 7.8% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 7.8% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 6.8% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.8% | 7.6% | 8.1% | 5 |
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 bank capital to assets ratio in South Africa?
- Bank capital to assets ratio in South Africa was 7.8% in 2024, according to Financial Soundness Indicators, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest bank capital to assets ratio recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2017.
- What is the lowest bank capital to assets ratio recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2008.
- How does South Africa rank for bank capital to assets ratio?
- South Africa ranks 100th out of 147 countries with data for 2024.
- Is bank capital to assets ratio rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Financial Soundness Indicators, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Bank capital to assets ratio (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The indicator is a measure of capital adequacy that evaluates the financial strength of deposit takers by comparing Tier 1 capital to total assets. Tier 1 capital, often referred to as core capital, includes the most stable and readily available forms of capital, such as common equity, disclosed reserves, retained earnings, and certain other instruments that meet regulatory requirements under the Basel framework. This capital is considered the highest quality because it is fully available to cover losses and does not need to be repaid.