South Africa - Fiscal Balance -3.88
World Bank MPO (Spring 2026) · updated 2026-10-03 · 142 economies tracked
Global rank
#n/a of 142 economies
Share of global total
0.9%
Ranking Race — Fiscal Balance
1 = global #1 · higher value ranks higher
South AfricaQatarUnited Arab EmiratesLesothoOman
Real annual global ranks, 1980 - 2028. South Africa climbed from #37 to #104 (overtook Uganda). Gaps in a lane = missing data that year.
Key events for South Africa ↓Key Events — South Africa
Auto-detected from rank data + curated milestones
1994Democratic transition curatedSanctions lift; economy reopens to global markets.
2008Fell 20 places in global rank auto
2009Fell 44 places in global rank auto
2009Global crisis recession curatedFirst recession in 17 years.
2015Credit rating downgrades curatedFiscal and growth concerns trigger rating cuts.
2019Fell 19 places in global rank auto
2020COVID-19 recession curatedDeepest contraction in a century.
2021Climbed 34 places in global rank auto
Fiscal Balance, 2005-2028
World Bank MPO (Spring 2026) · % of GDP · linear scale · ranking in the race above
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