South Africa — Inflation
Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %) for South Africa, 1960–2025.
Inflation for South Africa was 3.21% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 18.65% in 1986. The lowest was -0.69% in 2004 (about -4.6× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 1.41% per year.
South Africa ranks 92 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 49%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.51%, so South Africa sits below it. It peaked in 1986 and has fallen 83% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 29%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 28 of 46 economies; Equatorial Guinea (2.92%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 398% in 2005. That is 34% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1960 level: doubled by 1965; grown tenfold by 1975. Doubling roughly every 49 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 41st of 63 in 1960 → 39th of 92 in 1970 → 56th of 106 in 1980 → 42nd of 131 in 1990 → 55th of 163 in 2000 → 74th of 186 in 2010 → 59th of 178 in 2020 → 82nd of 169 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.21% | -1.2 pp |
| 2024 | 4.36% | -1.7 pp |
| 2023 | 6.08% | -1.0 pp |
| 2022 | 7.04% | +2.4 pp |
| 2021 | 4.62% | +1.4 pp |
| 2020 | 3.23% | -0.9 pp |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 4.51% | -0.7 pp |
| 2017 | 5.19% | -1.4 pp |
| 2016 | 6.6% | +2.1 pp |
| 2015 | 4.52% | -1.6 pp |
| 2014 | 6.13% | +0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 5.78% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 5.74% | +0.7 pp |
| 2011 | 5% | +0.9 pp |
| 2010 | 4.07% | -3.2 pp |
| 2009 | 7.24% | -2.7 pp |
| 2008 | 9.91% | +3.7 pp |
| 2007 | 6.18% | +2.9 pp |
| 2006 | 3.24% | +1.2 pp |
| 2005 | 2.06% | +2.8 pp |
| 2004 | -0.69% | -6.4 pp |
| 2003 | 5.68% | -3.8 pp |
| 2002 | 9.49% | +3.8 pp |
| 2001 | 5.7% | +0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 5.34% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 5.18% | -1.7 pp |
| 1998 | 6.88% | -1.7 pp |
| 1997 | 8.6% | +1.2 pp |
| 1996 | 7.35% | -1.3 pp |
| 1995 | 8.68% | -0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 8.94% | -0.8 pp |
| 1993 | 9.72% | -4.2 pp |
| 1992 | 13.87% | -1.5 pp |
| 1991 | 15.33% | +1.0 pp |
| 1990 | 14.32% | -0.4 pp |
| 1989 | 14.73% | +2.0 pp |
| 1988 | 12.78% | -3.4 pp |
| 1987 | 16.16% | -2.5 pp |
| 1986 | 18.65% | +2.4 pp |
| 1985 | 16.29% | +4.8 pp |
| 1984 | 11.53% | -0.8 pp |
| 1983 | 12.3% | -2.3 pp |
| 1982 | 14.64% | -0.6 pp |
| 1981 | 15.25% | +1.6 pp |
| 1980 | 13.66% | +0.4 pp |
| 1979 | 13.29% | +2.2 pp |
| 1978 | 11.14% | -0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 11.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 1976 | 11.02% | -2.4 pp |
| 1975 | 13.43% | +1.7 pp |
| 1974 | 11.72% | +2.3 pp |
| 1973 | 9.43% | +3.0 pp |
| 1972 | 6.43% | +0.5 pp |
| 1971 | 5.96% | +1.0 pp |
| 1970 | 4.99% | +1.8 pp |
| 1969 | 3.24% | +1.3 pp |
| 1968 | 1.99% | -1.6 pp |
| 1967 | 3.54% | +0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 3.49% | -0.6 pp |
| 1965 | 4.07% | +1.5 pp |
| 1964 | 2.53% | +1.2 pp |
| 1963 | 1.34% | +0.1 pp |
| 1962 | 1.25% | -0.9 pp |
| 1961 | 2.1% | +0.8 pp |
| 1960 | 1.29% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was South Africa’s Inflation in 1961?
2.1% (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is South Africa’s Inflation growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +148.7% in total — about 1.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 3.21%; 2024: 4.36%; 2023: 6.08%; 2022: 7.04%; 2021: 4.62%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG — Inflation, Consumer Prices (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.