Bank Z-score in South Africa
South Africa: Bank Z-score was 15.46 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Bank Z-score in South Africa, 2000–2021
Source: Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD).
Analysis
South Africa recorded 15.46 for bank z-score in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.2% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, bank z-score in South Africa peaked at 22.89 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11.39, in 2004.
South Africa ranks 83rd of 170 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Bank Z-score in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 22.89 | — |
| 2001 | 18.44 | -19.5% |
| 2004 | 11.39 | -38.2% |
| 2005 | 13.24 | +16.2% |
| 2006 | 13.36 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 13.31 | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 12.22 | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 13.17 | +7.8% |
| 2010 | 14.03 | +6.5% |
| 2011 | 14.67 | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 15.86 | +8.1% |
| 2013 | 14.82 | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 14.73 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 14.86 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 16.07 | +8.1% |
| 2017 | 17.25 | +7.4% |
| 2018 | 15.94 | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 15.88 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 13.43 | -15.4% |
| 2021 | 15.46 | +15.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 15.46 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.47, 100% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 15.46 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.99, 1.1× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.75 | 11.39 | 22.89 | 8 |
| 2010s | 15.41 | 14.03 | 17.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.44 | 13.43 | 15.46 | 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 bank z-score in South Africa?
- Bank z-score in South Africa was 15.46 in 2021, according to Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD).
- What is the highest bank z-score recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.89 in 2000.
- What is the lowest bank z-score recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.39 in 2004.
- How does South Africa rank for bank z-score?
- South Africa ranks 83rd out of 170 countries with data for 2021.
- Is bank z-score rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Bankscope, Bureau van Dijk (BvD), published as part of Bank Z-score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
It captures the probability of default of a country's banking system. Z-score compares the buffer of a country's banking system (capitalization and returns) with the volatility of those returns. It is estimated as (ROA+(equity/assets))/sd(ROA); sd(ROA) is the standard deviation of ROA. ROA, equity, and assets are country-level aggregate figures Calculated from underlying bank-by-bank unconsolidated data from Bankscope.