Remittance inflows to GDP (%) in South Africa
South Africa: Remittance inflows to GDP (%) was 0.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Remittance inflows to GDP in South Africa, 1970–2020
Source: World Development Indicators (WDI), World Bank. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.2% for remittance inflows to gdp in 2020.
That represents a change of up 5.4% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, remittance inflows to gdp in South Africa peaked at 0.3% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1996.
That places South Africa 159th out of 197 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Remittance inflows to GDP (%) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.1% | — |
| 1971 | 0.1% | -9.5% |
| 1972 | 0.1% | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0% | -30.6% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | +33.7% |
| 1975 | 0.1% | +30.1% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -15.9% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | -9.2% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | +33.5% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | -7.5% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +24.3% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | -18.3% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | -21.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -19.4% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | +71.5% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +31.3% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -11.2% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -15.0% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | -14.9% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 0.0% | -25.2% |
| 1996 | 0.0% | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | +127.0% |
| 1998 | 0.2% | +62.3% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | +19.8% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 0.2% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | +16.1% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | +7.2% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | +5.5% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.2% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 0.2% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | +5.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 6% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.4%, 10% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Remittance inflows to GDP (%) in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +127.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1989 | +71.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1998 | +62.3% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 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 remittance inflows to gdp in South Africa?
- Remittance inflows to gdp in South Africa was 0.2% in 2020, according to World Development Indicators (WDI), World Bank.
- What is the highest remittance inflows to gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2009.
- What is the lowest remittance inflows to gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for remittance inflows to gdp?
- South Africa ranks 159th out of 197 countries with data for 2020.
- Is remittance inflows to gdp rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Development Indicators (WDI), World Bank, published as part of Remittance inflows to GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Workers' remittances and compensation of employees comprise current transfers by migrant workers and wages and salaries earned by nonresident workers. Data are the sum of three items defined in the fifth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual: workers' remittances, compensation of employees, and migrants' transfers. Remittances are classified as current private transfers from migrant workers resident in the host country for more than a year, irrespective of their immigration status, to recipients in their country of origin. Migrants' transfers are defined as the net worth of migrants who are expected to remain in the host country for more than one year that is transferred from one country to another at the time of migration. Compensation of employees is the income of migrants who have lived in the host country for less than a year.