Fiatmap

Cost of moneySouth Africa

Savings vs inflation in South Africa

Is my bank account gaining or losing purchasing power?

South Africa's savings vs inflation is 4.21 % — #11 of 70 countries on the atlas (higher is better). Period 2025.

4.21%

Checked 21 Oct 2026Period 2025

Source: Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components)

A bank account in South Africa currently gains about 4.2 pp of purchasing power a year.

Among 70 countries

2 of 70 countries between -24.36 % and -23.02 %1 of 70 countries between -16.31 % and -14.97 %2 of 70 countries between -12.28 % and -10.94 %1 of 70 countries between -6.92 % and -5.58 %1 of 70 countries between -5.58 % and -4.23 %4 of 70 countries between -4.23 % and -2.89 %6 of 70 countries between -2.89 % and -1.55 %6 of 70 countries between -1.55 % and -0.21 %16 of 70 countries between -0.21 % and 1.13 %8 of 70 countries between 1.13 % and 2.47 %10 of 70 countries between 2.47 % and 3.82 %7 of 70 countries between 3.82 % and 5.16 %2 of 70 countries between 5.16 % and 6.50 %4 of 70 countries between 6.50 % and 7.84 %median 0.61 %South Africa: ahead of 84 % of the 70 countries with a published savings vs inflationSouth Africa 4.21 %-24.36 %7.84 %
Half of all 70 countries sit between -1.26 % and 3.41 %. South Africa is ahead of 84 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 3 values beyond it sit in the end bars.
Rank
#11 of 70
higher is better
Ranked behind
84 %
59 of 70 countries

In Africa: #4 of 15vs median 0.74 %: +3.47 pp (better)

The neighbourhood

#CountrySavings vs inflationvs South Africa
9 Ecuador4.59 %+0.38 pp
10 Rwanda4.42 %+0.21 pp
11 South Africa4.21 %—
12 Madagascar4.03 %−0.18 pp
13 Colombia3.82 %−0.39 pp

Deposit rate minus inflation — whether an ordinary bank account gains or loses purchasing power. Our calculation from two separately sourced figures.

How to read this figure

Our own calculation: the bank deposit rate minus annual CPI inflation. Where the policy-rate real rate answers "does the central bank beat inflation", this answers the question an ordinary saver actually has — does MY account? Deposit rates come from the IMF (harmonised, ~100 economies), inflation from official CPI; we never compute it when either leg is missing.

Next, about South Africa

Deposit rateInflation rateMoney's value
Savings vs inflation, all countries ranked →Compare South Africa with another country →Everything about South Africa →
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