Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in South Africa
South Africa: Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square was 3,798 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in South Africa, 1995–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 3,798 current US$ per square kilometre for spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in 2023.
The figure is up 7.2% on the previous year and down 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in South Africa peaked at 6,874 current US$ per square kilometre in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1,208 current US$ per square kilometre, in 2020.
That places South Africa 130th out of 189 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in South Africa, year by year
| Year | current US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,990 current US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1996 | 1,914 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 2,109 current US$ per square kilometre | +10.2% |
| 1998 | 2,061 current US$ per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 1999 | 2,240 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.7% |
| 2000 | 2,213 current US$ per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 1,950 current US$ per square kilometre | -11.8% |
| 2002 | 1,856 current US$ per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 3,013 current US$ per square kilometre | +62.4% |
| 2004 | 3,493 current US$ per square kilometre | +15.9% |
| 2005 | 3,967 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.6% |
| 2006 | 4,311 current US$ per square kilometre | +8.7% |
| 2007 | 5,032 current US$ per square kilometre | +16.7% |
| 2008 | 5,692 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.1% |
| 2009 | 5,293 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.0% |
| 2010 | 6,709 current US$ per square kilometre | +26.8% |
| 2011 | 6,874 current US$ per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 5,811 current US$ per square kilometre | -15.5% |
| 2013 | 5,231 current US$ per square kilometre | -10.0% |
| 2014 | 5,050 current US$ per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 4,550 current US$ per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 2016 | 4,249 current US$ per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 4,766 current US$ per square kilometre | +12.2% |
| 2018 | 4,960 current US$ per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 4,576 current US$ per square kilometre | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 1,208 current US$ per square kilometre | -73.6% |
| 2021 | 1,376 current US$ per square kilometre | +13.9% |
| 2022 | 3,542 current US$ per square kilometre | +157.4% |
| 2023 | 3,798 current US$ per square kilometre | +7.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +157.4% | 1,376 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,542 current US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,063 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,914 current US$ per square kilometre | 2,240 current US$ per square kilometre | 5 |
| 2000s | 3,682 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,856 current US$ per square kilometre | 5,692 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,278 current US$ per square kilometre | 4,249 current US$ per square kilometre | 6,874 current US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,481 current US$ per square kilometre | 1,208 current US$ per square kilometre | 3,798 current US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 127 Canada 4,468 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 128 Bhutan 4,315 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 129 Pakistan 4,264 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 131 Argentina 3,417 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 132 Venezuela 3,310 current US$ per square kilometre compare
- 133 Belarus 3,273 current US$ per square kilometre compare
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 spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in South Africa?
- Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square in South Africa was 3,798 current US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6,874 current US$ per square kilometre in 2011.
- What is the lowest spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,208 current US$ per square kilometre in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square?
- South Africa ranks 130th out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
- Is spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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
Spending by a country’s residents while travelling abroad divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.