Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in South Africa
South Africa: Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index was -0.7253 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index in South Africa, 1960–2023
Source: Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
Analysis
In 2023, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in South Africa stood at -0.7253.
That represents a change of down 928.0% on the previous year and up 50.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in South Africa peaked at 2.37 in 1976 and was at its lowest, -2.46, in 1992.
South Africa ranks 117th of 189 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
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.0403 | -1.27 | 1.36 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7691 | -0.9598 | 2.37 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0686 | -1.03 | 1.55 | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.1678 | -2.46 | 1.59 | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2812 | -1.73 | 1.77 | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.2 | -2.25 | 0.5172 | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.2037 | -0.7253 | 0.3897 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 114 São Tomé and Príncipe, Democratic Republic of -0.7011 compare
- 115 Russian Federation -0.7072 compare
- 116 Colombia -0.7208 compare
- 118 Cyprus -0.7342 compare
- 119 Côte d'Ivoire -0.7348 compare
- 120 Honduras -0.7677 compare
More environment data for South Africa
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Recovered paper — Production 1.18 million t (2024)
- Total fibre furnish — Production 2.03 million t (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import value 30,837 1000 USD (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import quantity 7,586 t (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Export value 272,220 1000 USD (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Export quantity 385,631 t (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard — Import value 516,696 1000 USD (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in South Africa?
- Standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index in South Africa was -0.7253 in 2023, according to Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html.
- What is the highest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.37 in 1976.
- What is the lowest standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.46 in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index?
- South Africa ranks 117th out of 189 countries with data for 2023.
- Is standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Global SPEI database (SPEIbase). https://spei.csic.es/database.html, published as part of Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The SPEI fulfills the requirements of a drought index since its multi-scalar character enables it to be used by different scientific disciplines to detect, monitor, and analyze droughts. Like the sc-PDSI and the SPI, the SPEI can measure drought severity according to its intensity and duration, and can identify the onset and end of drought episodes. The SPEI allows comparison of drought severity through time and space, since it can be calculated over a wide range of climates, as can the SPI.