Total reserves in months of imports in South Africa

South Africa: Total reserves in months of imports was 5.67 ratio in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
5.67 ratio
Change on year
up 6.4%
World rank
56th
of 185 countries
All-time high
7.12 ratio
in 2020
All-time low
1.93 ratio
in 2003
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Total reserves in months of imports in South Africa, 2000–2024

24682000201220242000: 2.4 ratio2001: 2.5 ratio2002: 2.5 ratio2003: 1.9 ratio2004: 2.7 ratio2005: 3.2 ratio2006: 3.2 ratio2007: 3.5 ratio2008: 3.3 ratio2009: 5.1 ratio2010: 4.5 ratio2011: 4.2 ratio2012: 4.3 ratio2013: 4.3 ratio2014: 4.4 ratio2015: 4.7 ratio2016: 5.4 ratio2017: 5.2 ratio2018: 4.8 ratio2019: 5.4 ratio2020: 7.1 ratio2021: 5.6 ratio2022: 4.9 ratio2023: 5.3 ratio2024: 5.7 ratio

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in ratio.

Analysis

In 2024, total reserves in months of imports in South Africa stood at 5.67 ratio.

The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 28.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total reserves in months of imports in South Africa peaked at 7.12 ratio in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.93 ratio, in 2003.

That places South Africa 56th out of 185 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Total reserves in months of imports in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total reserves in months of imports (ratio) in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year ratio Change
2000 2.38 ratio
2001 2.45 ratio +2.9%
2002 2.5 ratio +2.0%
2003 1.93 ratio -22.9%
2004 2.69 ratio +39.5%
2005 3.16 ratio +17.5%
2006 3.24 ratio +2.4%
2007 3.46 ratio +7.0%
2008 3.33 ratio -3.9%
2009 5.13 ratio +54.0%
2010 4.54 ratio -11.4%
2011 4.19 ratio -7.7%
2012 4.33 ratio +3.3%
2013 4.3 ratio -0.6%
2014 4.43 ratio +2.8%
2015 4.72 ratio +6.8%
2016 5.44 ratio +15.1%
2017 5.23 ratio -3.9%
2018 4.81 ratio -7.9%
2019 5.41 ratio +12.4%
2020 7.12 ratio +31.7%
2021 5.56 ratio -21.9%
2022 4.91 ratio -11.7%
2023 5.33 ratio +8.5%
2024 5.67 ratio +6.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.03 ratio 1.93 ratio 5.13 ratio 10
2010s 4.74 ratio 4.19 ratio 5.44 ratio 10
2020s 5.72 ratio 4.91 ratio 7.12 ratio 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 53 Trinidad and Tobago 5.73 ratio compare
  2. 54 Nicaragua 5.72 ratio compare
  3. 55 Indonesia 5.72 ratio compare
  4. 57 Lesotho 5.54 ratio compare
  5. 58 Angola 5.51 ratio compare
  6. 59 Brunei Darussalam 5.51 ratio compare
  7. 59 Brunei Darussalam 5.51 ratio compare

See the full ranking of 222 places →

More infrastructure data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total reserves in months of imports in South Africa?
Total reserves in months of imports in South Africa was 5.67 ratio in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest total reserves in months of imports recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 7.12 ratio in 2020.
What is the lowest total reserves in months of imports recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.93 ratio in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for total reserves in months of imports?
South Africa ranks 56th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
Is total reserves in months of imports rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Total reserves in months of imports (ratio). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total reserves in months of imports in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/total-reserves-in-months-of-imports-ratio/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total reserves in months of imports (ratio)
Unit
ratio
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
222 places, 5,136 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed