Annual number of objects launched into space in South Africa

South Africa: Annual number of objects launched into space was 1 objects in 2023. β—† Volatile

Latest (2023)
1 objects
Change on year
down 66.7%
World rank
42nd
of 50 countries
All-time high
3 objects
in 2022
All-time low
1 objects
in 1999
Years of data
7
1999–2023

Annual number of objects launched into space in South Africa, 1999–2023

11.522.531999201120231999: 1 objects2009: 1 objects2013: 1 objects2014: 1 objects2018: 1 objects2022: 3 objects2023: 1 objects

Source: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in objects.

Analysis

In 2023, annual number of objects launched into space in South Africa stood at 1 objects. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

That represents a change of down 66.7% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual number of objects launched into space in South Africa peaked at 3 objects in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1 objects, in 1999.

That places South Africa 42nd out of 50 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1 objects 1 objects 1 objects 1
2000s 1 objects 1 objects 1 objects 1
2010s 1 objects 1 objects 1 objects 3
2020s 2 objects 1 objects 3 objects 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 42 Argentina 1 objects compare
  2. 42 Belgium 1 objects compare
  3. 42 Chile 1 objects compare
  4. 42 Egypt, Arab Rep. 1 objects compare
  5. 42 Indonesia 1 objects compare
  6. 42 New Zealand 1 objects compare
  7. 42 Thailand 1 objects compare
  8. 42 Ukraine 1 objects compare

See the full ranking of 52 places β†’

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is annual number of objects launched into space in South Africa?
Annual number of objects launched into space in South Africa was 1 objects in 2023, according to United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual number of objects launched into space recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3 objects in 2022.
What is the lowest annual number of objects launched into space recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1 objects in 1999.
How does South Africa rank for annual number of objects launched into space?
South Africa ranks 42nd out of 50 countries with data for 2023.
Is annual number of objects launched into space rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual number of objects launched into space. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV Β· JSON β€” 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual number of objects launched into space
Unit
objects
Source
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
52 places, 979 data points, 1957–2025
Last refreshed

Annual number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.