| External sectors, trade and payments | Current account balance as a percentage of GDP | Percentage | | -4.689 | -5.327 | -4.806 | -4.339 | -2.676 | -2.368 | -2.942 | -2.568 | 1.972 | 3.677 | 0.110 | -0.561 | -0.824 |
| Exchange rate, national currency per USD | Rand | | 8.202 | 9.648 | 10.846 | 12.765 | 14.703 | 13.306 | 13.248 | 14.447 | 16.461 | 14.783 | 16.541 | 18.411 | 18.411 |
| Exchange rate, USD per national currency | US Dollar | | 0.122 | 0.104 | 0.092 | 0.079 | 0.068 | 0.075 | 0.076 | 0.069 | 0.061 | 0.068 | 0.061 | 0.054 | 0.054 |
| Exports of goods and services, volume in USD (national accounts basis) | US Dollar, 2015 | | 87 064 987 352.469 | 90 315 101 038.356 | 93 608 248 074.097 | 96 472 449 035.814 | 96 865 582 749.582 | 96 600 911 113.019 | 99 248 894 505.772 | 95 829 554 753.895 | 84 461 383 100.923 | 92 896 414 646.310 | 99 684 155 288.547 | 101 551 116 780.159 | 104 864 461 479.131 |
| Goods and services trade, volume in USD | US Dollar, 2015 | | 90 007 879 185.068 | 93 509 951 690.397 | 94 824 325 109.967 | 98 678 978 135.643 | 96 790 620 690.588 | 97 399 335 030.466 | 100 316 898 215.195 | 98 827 456 822.422 | 84 284 857 549.032 | 92 495 120 681.101 | 102 780 966 653.174 | 106 322 258 642.740 | 111 230 807 785.367 |
| Imports of goods and services, volume in USD (national accounts basis) | US Dollar, 2015 | | 92 950 771 017.668 | 96 704 802 342.437 | 96 040 402 145.836 | 100 885 507 235.471 | 96 715 658 631.593 | 98 197 758 947.914 | 101 384 901 924.620 | 101 825 358 890.949 | 84 108 331 997.141 | 92 093 826 715.892 | 105 877 778 017.801 | 111 093 400 505.320 | 117 597 154 091.603 |
| Government accounts | General government net lending as a percentage of GDP | Percentage | | -4.034 | -3.665 | -3.990 | -3.672 | -3.960 | -4.330 | -3.742 | -5.349 | -11.282 | -6.551 | -6.316 | -6.054 | -5.671 |
| General government primary balance as a percentage of GDP | Percentage | | -1.493 | -1.012 | -1.026 | -0.730 | -0.784 | -0.982 | -0.254 | -1.772 | -6.916 | -1.817 | -1.174 | -0.694 | -0.270 |
| Expenditure and GDP | Change in inventories, contributions to changes in real GDP | Percentage, 2015 | | -0.001 | 0.001 | -0.003 | 0.005 | -0.011 | 0.010 | -0.001 | 0.006 | -0.018 | 0.009 | 0.007 | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Exports of goods and services, volume (national accounts basis) | Rand, 2015 | | 1 105 691 363 500.000 | 1 146 966 539 000.000 | 1 188 788 221 250.000 | 1 225 162 455 750.000 | 1 230 155 100 500.000 | 1 226 793 874 000.000 | 1 260 422 229 750.000 | 1 216 997 949 250.000 | 1 072 626 605 525.000 | 1 179 748 214 500.000 | 1 265 949 871 836.900 | 1 289 659 554 225.140 | 1 331 737 738 916.300 |
| Government final consumption expenditure, volume | Rand, 2015 | | 805 940 031 925.000 | 831 421 332 650.000 | 847 435 400 575.000 | 839 290 622 400.000 | 856 222 475 225.000 | 853 841 577 175.000 | 863 945 871 175.000 | 881 766 849 850.000 | 888 447 379 600.000 | 893 408 308 700.000 | 904 136 469 586.279 | 911 867 119 859.717 | 924 292 159 334.974 |
| Gross capital formation, total, volume | Rand, 2015 | | 773 791 927 325.000 | 817 310 388 600.000 | 792 151 761 925.000 | 823 735 281 350.000 | 758 960 395 525.000 | 786 487 668 575.000 | 772 535 790 825.000 | 783 055 356 650.000 | 580 609 943 525.000 | 623 372 133 300.001 | 686 280 505 463.564 | 718 723 255 936.002 | 765 771 025 870.758 |
| Gross domestic product, nominal value, market prices | Rand | | 3 566 385 019 250.000 | 3 868 630 223 000.000 | 4 133 873 041 250.000 | 4 420 792 527 250.000 | 4 759 554 551 500.000 | 5 078 189 926 750.000 | 5 348 608 833 000.000 | 5 613 665 085 750.000 | 5 556 916 077 500.000 | 6 192 497 252 250.000 | 6 592 411 639 015.880 | 6 964 440 794 136.060 | 7 334 739 583 360.110 |
| Gross domestic product, volume in USD, at constant purchasing power parities | US Dollar, 2015 | | 720 646 283 596.031 | 738 557 715 058.129 | 748 999 639 295.124 | 758 900 385 384.309 | 763 943 673 177.407 | 772 789 738 170.533 | 784 554 141 736.691 | 786 934 896 679.204 | 737 023 777 893.606 | 773 234 399 992.777 | 786 349 139 826.155 | 795 147 245 887.944 | 808 169 439 800.688 |
| Gross domestic product, volume in USD, constant exchange rates | US Dollar, 2015 | | 330 678 456 107.067 | 338 897 362 715.450 | 343 688 783 227.946 | 348 231 876 706.126 | 350 546 058 655.145 | 354 605 197 210.544 | 360 003 455 547.304 | 361 095 897 688.033 | 338 193 494 555.888 | 354 809 236 401.776 | 360 827 115 101.860 | 364 864 247 042.181 | 370 839 659 774.076 |
| Gross domestic product, volume, market prices | Rand, 2015 | | 4 197 952 413 000.000 | 4 302 291 169 250.000 | 4 363 118 099 250.000 | 4 420 792 525 500.000 | 4 450 170 991 250.000 | 4 501 701 625 250.000 | 4 570 232 342 000.000 | 4 584 100 860 000.000 | 4 293 355 585 500.000 | 4 504 291 896 250.000 | 4 580 688 673 674.110 | 4 631 939 934 400.270 | 4 707 797 607 717.850 |
| Gross fixed capital formation, total, volume | Rand, 2015 | | 755 541 976 675.000 | 796 022 924 825.000 | 785 536 998 500.000 | 796 138 460 675.000 | 780 757 339 175.000 | 764 883 477 575.000 | 754 838 267 950.000 | 738 815 813 900.000 | 630 590 844 550.000 | 631 989 333 500.000 | 660 561 636 565.464 | 688 419 682 185.408 | 736 579 929 280.877 |
| Imports of goods and services, volume (national accounts basis) | Rand, 2015 | | 1 181 728 067 500.000 | 1 229 454 881 750.000 | 1 221 008 041 000.000 | 1 282 606 203 250.000 | 1 229 592 903 000.000 | 1 248 435 560 500.000 | 1 288 955 249 250.000 | 1 294 554 991 500.000 | 1 069 309 867 400.000 | 1 170 833 320 500.000 | 1 346 075 354 064.450 | 1 412 384 083 034.680 | 1 495 069 445 112.570 |
| Net exports, contributions to changes in real GDP | Percentage, 2015 | | -0.008 | -0.002 | 0.012 | -0.006 | 0.013 | -0.005 | -0.002 | -0.011 | 0.018 | 0.001 | -0.020 | -0.009 | -0.009 |
| Private final consumption expenditure, volume | Rand, 2015 | | 2 694 257 157 750.000 | 2 736 047 790 750.000 | 2 755 750 756 500.000 | 2 815 210 369 250.000 | 2 834 425 923 000.000 | 2 883 014 066 000.000 | 2 962 283 699 500.000 | 2 996 835 695 750.000 | 2 820 981 524 250.000 | 2 978 596 560 250.000 | 3 070 397 180 851.820 | 3 124 074 087 414.100 | 3 181 066 128 708.380 |
| Selected variables: ready-made growth rates | Core inflation | Percentage, 2015 | | 4.642 | 5.220 | 5.526 | 5.344 | 5.493 | 4.587 | 4.162 | 4.124 | 3.359 | 3.120 | 4.475 | 5.826 | 4.994 |
| Exports of goods and services, volume, growth (national accounts basis) | Percentage, 2015 | | 1.112 | 3.733 | 3.646 | 3.060 | 0.408 | -0.273 | 2.741 | -3.445 | -11.863 | 9.987 | 7.307 | 1.873 | 3.263 |
| Government final consumption expenditure, volume, growth | Percentage, 2015 | | 4.790 | 3.162 | 1.926 | -0.961 | 2.017 | -0.278 | 1.183 | 2.063 | 0.758 | 0.558 | 1.201 | 0.855 | 1.363 |
| Gross domestic product, market prices, deflator, growth | Percentage, 2015 | | 4.685 | 5.844 | 5.367 | 5.546 | 6.952 | 5.473 | 3.746 | 4.638 | 5.693 | 6.219 | 4.683 | 4.474 | 3.620 |
| Gross domestic product, nominal value, growth | Percentage | | 7.194 | 8.475 | 6.856 | 6.941 | 7.663 | 6.695 | 5.325 | 4.956 | -1.011 | 11.438 | 6.458 | 5.643 | 5.317 |
| Gross domestic product, volume, growth | Percentage, 2015 | | 2.396 | 2.485 | 1.414 | 1.322 | 0.665 | 1.158 | 1.522 | 0.303 | -6.342 | 4.913 | 1.696 | 1.119 | 1.638 |
| Gross fixed capital formation, total, volume, growth | Percentage, 2015 | | 1.757 | 5.358 | -1.317 | 1.350 | -1.932 | -2.033 | -1.313 | -2.123 | -14.648 | 0.222 | 4.521 | 4.217 | 6.996 |
| Headline inflation | Percentage, 2015 | | 5.675 | 5.726 | 6.078 | 4.600 | 6.299 | 5.301 | 4.612 | 4.121 | 3.275 | 4.556 | 6.637 | 5.920 | 4.948 |
| Imports of goods and services, volume, growth (national accounts basis) | Percentage, 2015 | | 3.868 | 4.039 | -0.687 | 5.045 | -4.133 | 1.532 | 3.246 | 0.434 | -17.399 | 9.494 | 14.967 | 4.926 | 5.854 |
| Private final consumption expenditure, volume, growth | Percentage, 2015 | | 3.226 | 1.551 | 0.720 | 2.158 | 0.683 | 1.714 | 2.750 | 1.166 | -5.868 | 5.587 | 3.082 | 1.748 | 1.824 |
| Prices and deflators | Consumer price index | Index, 2015 | | 0.852 | 0.901 | 0.956 | 1.000 | 1.063 | 1.119 | 1.171 | 1.219 | 1.259 | 1.316 | 1.404 | 1.487 | 1.561 |
| Core inflation index | Index, 2015 | | 0.855 | 0.900 | 0.949 | 1.000 | 1.055 | 1.103 | 1.149 | 1.197 | 1.237 | 1.275 | 1.332 | 1.410 | 1.481 |
| Exports of goods and services, deflator (national accounts basis) | Index, 2015 | | 0.875 | 0.957 | 1.008 | 1.000 | 1.089 | 1.132 | 1.170 | 1.259 | 1.430 | 1.637 | 1.811 | 1.932 | 1.998 |
| Gross domestic product, market prices, deflator | Index, 2015 | | 0.850 | 0.899 | 0.947 | 1.000 | 1.070 | 1.128 | 1.170 | 1.225 | 1.294 | 1.375 | 1.439 | 1.504 | 1.558 |
| Imports of goods and services, deflator (national accounts basis) | Index, 2015 | | 0.858 | 0.960 | 1.033 | 1.000 | 1.072 | 1.066 | 1.123 | 1.160 | 1.206 | 1.324 | 1.536 | 1.630 | 1.706 |
| Purchasing power parity, national currency per USD | Rand | | 5.108 | 5.296 | 5.572 | 5.825 | 6.159 | 6.427 | 6.525 | 6.699 | 6.968 | 7.168 | 7.025 | 7.036 | 7.036 |
| Labour markets | Labour force | Persons | | 19 199 955.490 | 19 751 673.855 | 20 216 438.485 | 21 084 659.923 | 21 533 066.422 | 22 289 002.706 | 22 496 413.339 | 22 928 837.775 | 21 343 998.907 | 22 348 982.862 | 23 567 225.381 | 24 194 994.213 | 24 587 973.247 |
| Total employment (labour force survey basis) | Persons | | 14 424 889.214 | 14 865 627.835 | 15 146 303.543 | 15 740 732.505 | 15 780 441.971 | 16 168 663.493 | 16 393 524.966 | 16 349 854.756 | 15 061 297.811 | 14 690 763.939 | 15 595 424.074 | 16 267 904.160 | 16 787 618.882 |
| Unemployment rate | Percentage | | 24.870 | 24.737 | 25.079 | 25.345 | 26.715 | 27.459 | 27.128 | 28.693 | 29.435 | 34.267 | 33.826 | 32.763 | 31.724 |
| Monetary data | Long-term interest rate on government bonds | Percentage | | 7.900 | 7.723 | 8.250 | 8.166 | 9.021 | 9.053 | 9.132 | 9.073 | 10.075 | 9.789 | 10.713 | 11.440 | 11.116 |
| Short-term interest rate | Percentage | | 5.288 | 5.078 | 5.799 | 6.052 | 7.228 | 7.331 | 7.154 | 7.084 | 4.548 | 3.926 | 5.276 | 6.637 | 5.699 |