Real interest rate in South Africa
South Africa: Real interest rate was 7.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in South Africa, 1961–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 7.7% for real interest rate in 2025.
The figure is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 109.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in South Africa peaked at 12.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, -11.0%, in 1980.
That places South Africa 41st out of 148 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.2% | — |
| 1962 | 6.0% | +15.6% |
| 1963 | 2.4% | -59.7% |
| 1964 | 3.7% | +51.4% |
| 1965 | 3.8% | +3.6% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | -14.6% |
| 1967 | 4.2% | +30.4% |
| 1968 | 4.2% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 0.6% | -86.5% |
| 1970 | 3.3% | +481.4% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | -17.9% |
| 1972 | -1.7% | -163.9% |
| 1973 | -7.8% | +347.1% |
| 1974 | -4.1% | -48.0% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | -118.8% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | +132.6% |
| 1977 | 2.0% | +14.6% |
| 1978 | 1.5% | -28.7% |
| 1979 | -3.5% | -339.5% |
| 1980 | -11.0% | +216.7% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | -121.1% |
| 1982 | 4.2% | +79.2% |
| 1983 | -0.3% | -108.2% |
| 1984 | 10.1% | -3026.6% |
| 1985 | 4.6% | -54.2% |
| 1986 | -2.0% | -143.2% |
| 1987 | -2.0% | +2.6% |
| 1988 | -0.1% | -96.3% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -3200.2% |
| 1990 | 4.8% | +104.7% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | -16.3% |
| 1992 | 3.7% | -9.3% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | -32.6% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | +113.2% |
| 1995 | 6.4% | +21.2% |
| 1996 | 10.6% | +67.2% |
| 1997 | 11.0% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 12.7% | +15.7% |
| 1999 | 10.4% | -18.1% |
| 2000 | 4.9% | -53.1% |
| 2001 | 5.5% | +13.7% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | -48.5% |
| 2003 | 8.0% | +182.0% |
| 2004 | 5.0% | -38.5% |
| 2005 | 4.8% | -3.8% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | +48.4% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | -58.5% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | +24.6% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 3.9% | +18.4% |
| 2013 | 2.5% | -35.4% |
| 2014 | 3.6% | +42.2% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -10.6% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | +41.8% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | +26.0% |
| 2019 | 5.3% | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -58.3% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | -72.9% |
| 2022 | 3.4% | +467.0% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | +91.8% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | +14.6% |
| 2025 | 7.7% | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.7% | 0.6% | 6.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | -0.5% | -7.8% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | -11.0% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.1% | 2.5% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.0% | 2.8% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 2.5% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 0.6% | 7.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 38 Maldives 8.1% compare
- 39 Uzbekistan 7.9% compare
- 40 Peru 7.7% compare
- 42 Trinidad and Tobago 7.6% compare
- 43 Costa Rica 7.5% compare
- 44 Belize 7.3% compare
More financial sector data for South Africa
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), per capita 95,301 current LCU per person (2025)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), per unit of GDP 14.44 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), annual growth rate 11.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gold reserves at 35 SDRs per ounce 141.22 million SDR (2025)
- Gold reserves at market value 12.87 billion SDR (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange 37.46 billion SDR (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold 42.64 billion SDR (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) 55.51 billion SDR (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) 55.42 billion SDR (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita 855.88 SDR per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in South Africa?
- Real interest rate in South Africa was 7.7% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 1998.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -11.0% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for real interest rate?
- South Africa ranks 41st out of 148 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 109.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.