Personal remittances, received in South Africa

South Africa: Personal remittances, received was 1.00 billion current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
1.00 billion current US$
Change on year
up 17.5%
World rank
96th
of 196 countries
All-time high
1.16 billion current US$
in 2011
All-time low
15.38 million current US$
in 1971
Years of data
56
1970–2025

Personal remittances, received in South Africa, 1970–2025

0250.0M500.0M750.0M1.0B1.2B197019972025

Source: IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current US$.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 1.00 billion current US$ for personal remittances, received in 2025.

That represents a change of up 17.5% on the previous year and up 21.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, personal remittances, received in South Africa peaked at 1.16 billion current US$ in 2011 and was at its lowest, 15.38 million current US$, in 1971.

South Africa ranks 96th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 27.79 million current US$ 15.38 million current US$ 51.12 million current US$ 10
1980s 63.05 million current US$ 35.51 million current US$ 88.55 million current US$ 10
1990s 148.35 million current US$ 74.89 million current US$ 306.86 million current US$ 10
2000s 547.70 million current US$ 268.16 million current US$ 862.05 million current US$ 10
2010s 947.02 million current US$ 755.43 million current US$ 1.16 billion current US$ 10
2020s 878.98 million current US$ 803.39 million current US$ 1.00 billion current US$ 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 93 Iran 1.03 billion current US$ compare
  2. 94 Norway 1.03 billion current US$ compare
  3. 95 Liberia 1.02 billion current US$ compare
  4. 97 Turkey 982.00 million current US$ compare
  5. 98 Argentina 916.45 million current US$ compare
  6. 99 Montenegro 897.11 million current US$ compare

See the full ranking of 243 places →

More economy & growth data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is personal remittances, received in South Africa?
Personal remittances, received in South Africa was 1.00 billion current US$ in 2025, according to IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest personal remittances, received recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.16 billion current US$ in 2011.
What is the lowest personal remittances, received recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 15.38 million current US$ in 1971.
How does South Africa rank for personal remittances, received?
South Africa ranks 96th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
Is personal remittances, received rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Personal remittances, received (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Personal remittances, received (current US$)
Unit
current US$
Source
IMF balance of payments data, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
243 places, 9,711 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Personal remittances comprise personal transfers and compensation of employees. Personal transfers consist of all current transfers in cash or in kind made or received by resident households to or from nonresident households. Personal transfers thus include all current transfers between resident and nonresident individuals. Compensation of employees refers to the income of border, seasonal, and other short-term workers who are employed in an economy where they are not resident and of residents employed by nonresident entities. Data are the sum of two items defined in the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual: personal transfers and compensation of employees. Data are in current U.S. dollars.