Remittances in South Africa
South Africa: Remittances was 0.2352 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Remittances in South Africa, 1970–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for remittances in South Africa is 0.2352, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 10.3% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, remittances in South Africa peaked at 0.2614 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.0459, in 1996.
South Africa ranks 162nd of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Remittances in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.0726 | — |
| 1971 | 0.0657 | -9.5% |
| 1972 | 0.0688 | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 0.0477 | -30.6% |
| 1974 | 0.0638 | +33.7% |
| 1975 | 0.083 | +30.1% |
| 1976 | 0.0699 | -15.9% |
| 1977 | 0.0634 | -9.2% |
| 1978 | 0.0847 | +33.5% |
| 1979 | 0.0811 | -4.2% |
| 1980 | 0.075 | -7.5% |
| 1981 | 0.0933 | +24.3% |
| 1982 | 0.0937 | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0765 | -18.3% |
| 1984 | 0.0763 | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 0.0601 | -21.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0484 | -19.4% |
| 1987 | 0.0469 | -3.2% |
| 1988 | 0.0478 | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 0.0819 | +71.5% |
| 1990 | 0.1076 | +31.3% |
| 1991 | 0.0955 | -11.2% |
| 1992 | 0.0812 | -15.0% |
| 1993 | 0.0691 | -14.9% |
| 1994 | 0.0643 | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 0.0481 | -25.2% |
| 1996 | 0.0459 | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 0.1042 | +127.0% |
| 1998 | 0.169 | +62.3% |
| 1999 | 0.2025 | +19.8% |
| 2000 | 0.2139 | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 0.2079 | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 0.2077 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.1984 | -4.5% |
| 2004 | 0.183 | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 0.2124 | +16.1% |
| 2006 | 0.2277 | +7.2% |
| 2007 | 0.2379 | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 0.2479 | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 0.2614 | +5.5% |
| 2010 | 0.2563 | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 0.2528 | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.2497 | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 0.2421 | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 0.2396 | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 0.238 | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 0.2335 | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 0.2291 | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 0.2292 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2286 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 0.2399 | +4.9% |
| 2021 | 0.2206 | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 0.2141 | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 0.2106 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 0.2132 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 0.2352 | +10.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.2352 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.62, 7% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.2352 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.52, 9% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Remittances 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% | 0.0459 | 0.1042 |
| 1989 | +71.5% | 0.0478 | 0.0819 |
| 1998 | +62.3% | 0.1042 | 0.169 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0701 | 0.0477 | 0.0847 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.07 | 0.0469 | 0.0937 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0987 | 0.0459 | 0.2025 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2198 | 0.183 | 0.2614 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2399 | 0.2286 | 0.2563 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2223 | 0.2106 | 0.2399 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is remittances in South Africa?
- Remittances in South Africa was 0.2352 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest remittances recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2614 in 2009.
- What is the lowest remittances recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0459 in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for remittances?
- South Africa ranks 162nd out of 194 countries with data for 2025.
- Is remittances rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Remittances. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).