How real consumption per person moved across Southern Africa

South Africa rebounded but remained below its 2019 level

South Africa recorded USD 3,906.61 per person in 2025, above USD 3,815.84 in 2024 but below USD 3,964.68 in 2019. The level and year-on-year growth figures describe different comparison windows. Source 1 Source 2

Namibia and Botswana declined in 2025

Namibia fell from USD 3,743.79 in 2024 to USD 3,655.52 in 2025, a decline of 2.36%. Botswana fell from USD 3,245.36 to USD 3,121.77, or 3.81%. Both were above their 2019 figures. Source 1 Source 2

Mozambique and Lesotho moved in opposite directions

Mozambique’s level fell from USD 443.80 to USD 415.91 between 2024 and 2025. Lesotho rose from USD 836.70 to USD 840.08. The series averages consumption across the national population and cannot show how individual households changed their spending. Source 1 Source 2

National accounts consumption is broader than cash spending

The series covers household final consumption and nonprofit institutions serving households. It is adjusted for price changes over time and expressed per resident. It is not a purchasing-power-parity measure, so cross-country dollar levels are less comparable as living-standard measures than the within-country changes. Source 3

Sources

• World Bank national accounts, final consumption per capita in constant 2015 US dollars
• World Bank national accounts, annual growth of real consumption per capita
• World Bank metadata, scope of household and nonprofit consumption