Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US) in South Africa
South Africa: Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US) was 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US) in South Africa, 1970–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in US dollar per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP for reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) in 2025.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 103.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) in South Africa peaked at 0.0155 US dollar per US$ of GDP in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP, in 1994.
South Africa ranks 43rd of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | US dollar per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0018 US dollar per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1972 | 0.0017 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -6.6% |
| 1973 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -97.4% |
| 1974 | 0.0012 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +2559.3% |
| 1975 | 0.001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -16.7% |
| 1976 | 0.001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 0.0009 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -11.8% |
| 1978 | 0.001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +16.2% |
| 1979 | 0.0005 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -46.4% |
| 1980 | 0.0005 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 0.0014 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +175.7% |
| 1982 | 0.0013 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -11.9% |
| 1983 | 0.0003 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -73.3% |
| 1984 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -91.3% |
| 1985 | 0.0001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +165.7% |
| 1987 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -79.6% |
| 1988 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -24.6% |
| 1989 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +20.3% |
| 1990 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +27.3% |
| 1991 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -27.4% |
| 1993 | 0.0001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +508.1% |
| 1994 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -91.0% |
| 1995 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +290.8% |
| 1996 | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -72.7% |
| 1997 | 0.0001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +597.0% |
| 1998 | 0.0012 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +2116.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0019 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +56.6% |
| 2000 | 0.0019 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 0.0021 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 0.0023 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +13.3% |
| 2003 | 0.0017 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -28.4% |
| 2004 | 0.0013 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -19.5% |
| 2005 | 0.0011 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -18.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0011 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0011 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 0.0011 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 0.0085 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +675.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0066 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -22.1% |
| 2011 | 0.006 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 0.0065 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +8.2% |
| 2013 | 0.0069 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +6.3% |
| 2014 | 0.0068 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.0071 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 0.0066 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -8.3% |
| 2017 | 0.0056 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -14.9% |
| 2018 | 0.0051 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 0.0053 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 0.0064 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +20.1% |
| 2021 | 0.0147 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +130.9% |
| 2022 | 0.0144 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 0.0155 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +7.1% |
| 2024 | 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP | -6.5% |
| 2025 | 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP | +0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0071 US dollar per US$ of GDP, 2.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0064 US dollar per US$ of GDP, 2.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +2559.3% | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0012 US dollar per US$ of GDP |
| 1998 | +2116.2% | 0.0001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0012 US dollar per US$ of GDP |
| 2009 | +675.5% | 0.0011 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0085 US dollar per US$ of GDP |
| 1997 | +597.0% | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0001 US dollar per US$ of GDP |
| 1993 | +508.1% | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0001 US dollar per US$ of GDP |
| 1995 | +290.8% | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.001 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0018 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.0004 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0014 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 9 |
| 1990s | 0.0004 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0019 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 9 |
| 2000s | 0.0022 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0011 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0085 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0062 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0051 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0071 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0133 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0064 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 0.0155 US dollar per US$ of GDP | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 40 Tajikistan 0.0147 US dollar per US$ of GDP compare
- 41 Niger 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP compare
- 42 Croatia 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP compare
- 44 Sweden 0.0144 US dollar per US$ of GDP compare
- 45 Cyprus 0.0143 US dollar per US$ of GDP compare
- 46 Netherlands 0.0143 US dollar per US$ of GDP compare
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 reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) in South Africa?
- Reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) in South Africa was 0.0145 US dollar per US$ of GDP in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0155 US dollar per US$ of GDP in 2023.
- What is the lowest reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 US dollar per US$ of GDP in 1994.
- How does South Africa rank for reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us)?
- South Africa ranks 43rd out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is reserve assets, special drawing rights (sdrs) (assets, positions, us) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 103.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US dollar), per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US dollar) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US dollar) ÷ GDP (current US$)
Computed from
- Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) International Monetary Fund
- GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Reserve assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (Assets, Positions, US dollar) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.