Mineral rents in South Africa
South Africa: Mineral rents was 3.8% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Mineral rents in South Africa, 1970–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mineral rents in South Africa is 3.8%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 168.5% on the previous year and up 57.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mineral rents in South Africa peaked at 9.6% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2003.
That places South Africa 29th out of 214 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mineral rents in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.9% | — |
| 1971 | 0.7% | -25.3% |
| 1972 | 0.7% | -4.7% |
| 1973 | 0.9% | +36.1% |
| 1974 | 2.1% | +131.8% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | -53.6% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | -2.6% |
| 1977 | 1.1% | +21.0% |
| 1978 | 0.7% | -41.5% |
| 1979 | 3.9% | +475.0% |
| 1980 | 9.6% | +148.9% |
| 1981 | 5.5% | -42.8% |
| 1982 | 4.0% | -26.6% |
| 1983 | 4.7% | +17.6% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | -82.9% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | +369.1% |
| 1986 | 3.5% | -7.6% |
| 1987 | 3.6% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 3.3% | -9.6% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -29.4% |
| 1990 | 1.7% | -25.7% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | +17.3% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | -31.0% |
| 1993 | 1.6% | +18.4% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | +18.6% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | -67.8% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | +94.4% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -39.1% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -13.8% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -34.4% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | +67.3% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | +13.5% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +25.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -81.4% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +85.2% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | +128.4% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +52.9% |
| 2007 | 1.7% | +38.5% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | +48.9% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -47.5% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | +68.0% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | +10.2% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -20.6% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | +6.9% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -31.6% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -65.7% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | +87.5% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | -41.1% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +171.8% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | +168.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.3% | 0.7% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.1% | 0.8% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.4% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 0.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 0.5% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 1.4% | 3.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 26 Zimbabwe 4.2% compare
- 27 Tanzania, United Republic of 4.0% compare
- 28 Lao People's Democratic Republic 3.9% compare
- 30 Panama 3.6% compare
- 31 Iran, Islamic Republic of 3.4% compare
- 32 Namibia 3.2% compare
More energy & mining data for South Africa
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate -0.3095 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 17.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mineral rents in South Africa?
- Mineral rents in South Africa was 3.8% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest mineral rents recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.6% in 1980.
- What is the lowest mineral rents recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2003.
- How does South Africa rank for mineral rents?
- South Africa ranks 29th out of 214 countries with data for 2021.
- Is mineral rents rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB), published as part of Mineral rents (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Mineral rents are the difference between the value of production for a stock of minerals at world prices and their total costs of production. Minerals included in the calculation are tin, gold, lead, zinc, iron, copper, nickel, silver, bauxite, and phosphate.