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Indicators · Macro stability

Current account balance

The balance of trade, income and transfers with the rest of the world, as a share of GDP.

Why it matters

Persistent large deficits must be financed by capital inflows. When those dry up, currencies fall and dollar shortages follow.

Read with care

Deficits financed by FDI into productive projects are less risky than those financed by short-term borrowing.

Source

World Bank

% of GDP. 53 African countries, 1990 to 2025.

Current account: highest in Botswana, lowest in Mozambique

Current account balance, % of GDP. Latest year available, mostly 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

-6.6%
-4.6%
0%
0.6%
2%
No data
Loading map…
Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: current accountiWhy it mattersPersistent large deficits must be financed by capital inflows. When those dry up, currencies fall and dollar shortages follow.

Click a country to highlight it.

-15%-10%-5%0%Botswana2.9%Eswatini2.4%Zimbabwe1.2% (2024)Angola0.3%Lesotho0.1%South Africa-0.4%Comoros-1.7% (2023)Tanzania-3.0% (2024)DRC-4.3%Madagascar-5.2%Zambia-5.5%Seychelles-5.7%Mauritius-7.0% (2024)Namibia-13.4% (2024)Malawi-14.0%Mozambique-14.2%median -3.7%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median -3.7%Lowest: Mozambique -14.2%Highest: Botswana 2.9%

Over time

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Current account balance against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

-15.0%-10.0%-5.0%0.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Current accountDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarZambiaNamibia
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Botswana2.9%2025up 12.7 points since 2020A
2Eswatini2.4%2025down 4.2 points since 2020A
3Zimbabwe1.2%2024down 1.6 point since 2019A
4Angola0.3%2025down 1.1 point since 2020A
5Lesotho0.1%2025up 4.4 points since 2020A
6South Africa-0.4%2025down 2.4 points since 2020A
7Comoros-1.7%2023up 1.2 point since 2018B
8Tanzania-3.0%2024down 0.8 points since 2019A
9DRC-4.3%2025down 2.1 points since 2020A
10Madagascar-5.2%2025down 0.4 points since 2020A
11Zambia-5.5%2025down 17.3 points since 2020A
12Seychelles-5.7%2025up 6.9 points since 2020A
13Mauritius-7.0%2024down 2.1 points since 2019A
14Namibia-13.4%2024down 11.6 points since 2019A
15Malawi-14.0%2025little changed since 2020A
16Mozambique-14.2%2025up 10.8 points since 2020A