Total natural resource rents in South Africa
South Africa: Total natural resource rents was 7.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Total natural resource rents in South Africa, 1970–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total natural resource rents in South Africa is 7.3%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 82.4% on the previous year and down 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in South Africa peaked at 13.5% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1970.
South Africa ranks 61st of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.1% | 1.7% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.0% | 5.4% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 2.5% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.4% | 3.0% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 2.8% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 4.0% | 7.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total natural resource rents in South Africa?
- Total natural resource rents in South Africa was 7.3% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1980.
- What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for total natural resource rents?
- South Africa ranks 61st out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
- Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.