Provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa
South Africa: Provisions to nonperforming loans was 43.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa, 1998–2020
Source: Financial Soundness Indicators Database (fsi.imf.org), International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa stood at 43.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 33.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa peaked at 61.3% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 29.6%, in 2009.
That places South Africa 113th out of 140 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 41.3% | — |
| 1999 | 41.5% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 44.0% | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 46.0% | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 46.0% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 54.2% | +17.8% |
| 2004 | 61.3% | +13.1% |
| 2005 | 59.4% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 54.5% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 44.9% | -17.6% |
| 2008 | 31.4% | -30.1% |
| 2009 | 29.6% | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 32.6% | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 34.9% | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 40.2% | +15.4% |
| 2013 | 45.8% | +13.9% |
| 2014 | 49.1% | +7.1% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 43.9% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 42.6% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 45.6% | +7.2% |
| 2019 | 45.2% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 43.4% | -4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 41.4% | 41.3% | 41.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 47.1% | 29.6% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.8% | 32.6% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.4% | 43.4% | 43.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More financial sector data for South Africa
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per unit of GDP 0.0877 SDR per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita 578.61 SDR per person (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold (SDR), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold (SDR), per capita 658.6 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) (SDR), annual growth rate 10.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) (SDR), per capita 857.36 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), annual growth rate 10.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita 855.88 SDR per person (2025)
- Total reserves in months of imports, annual growth rate 9.76 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa?
- Provisions to nonperforming loans in South Africa was 43.4% in 2020, according to Financial Soundness Indicators Database (fsi.imf.org), International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest provisions to nonperforming loans recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 61.3% in 2004.
- What is the lowest provisions to nonperforming loans recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.6% in 2009.
- How does South Africa rank for provisions to nonperforming loans?
- South Africa ranks 113th out of 140 countries with data for 2020.
- Is provisions to nonperforming loans rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Provisions to nonperforming loans (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Provisions to nonperforming loans. Nonperforming Loans are loans for which the contractual payments are delinquent, usually defined as and NPL ratio being overdue for more than a certain number of days (e.g., usually more than 90 days). Reported by IMF staff. Note that due to differences in national accounting, taxation, and supervisory regimes, these data are not strictly comparable across countries.