Bank non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa
South Africa: Bank non-performing loans to gross loans was 5.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Bank non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa, 1998–2020
Source: Financial Soundness Indicators Database (fsi.imf.org), International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, bank non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa stood at 5.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 33.1% on the previous year and down 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, bank non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa peaked at 5.9% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2006.
That places South Africa 56th out of 141 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Bank non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4.1% | — |
| 1999 | 4.9% | +19.5% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | -36.7% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -17.2% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -25.0% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | -38.9% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | +27.3% |
| 2008 | 3.9% | +178.6% |
| 2009 | 5.9% | +51.3% |
| 2010 | 5.8% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | -19.2% |
| 2012 | 4.0% | -13.6% |
| 2013 | 3.6% | -9.9% |
| 2014 | 3.2% | -10.9% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +31.2% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | +4.4% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | +33.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 1.1% | 5.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
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 non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa?
- Bank non-performing loans to gross loans in South Africa was 5.2% in 2020, according to Financial Soundness Indicators Database (fsi.imf.org), International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest bank non-performing loans to gross loans recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 2009.
- What is the lowest bank non-performing loans to gross loans recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2006.
- How does South Africa rank for bank non-performing loans to gross loans?
- South Africa ranks 56th out of 141 countries with data for 2020.
- Is bank non-performing loans to gross loans rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. 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 Database (fsi.imf.org), International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Bank non-performing loans to gross loans (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Reported by IMF staff. Note that due to differences in national accounting, taxation, and supervisory regimes, these data are not strictly comparable across countries.