As of April 2025, South Africa's GDP was estimated at over 410 billion U.S. dollars, the highest in Africa. Egypt followed, with a GDP worth around 347 billion U.S. dollars, and ranked as the second-highest on the continent. Algeria ranked third, with nearly 269 billion U.S. dollars. These African economies are among some of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. Dependency on oil For some African countries, the oil industry represents an enormous source of income. In Nigeria, oil generates over five percent of the country’s GDP in the third quarter of 2023. However, economies such as the Libyan, Algerian, or Angolan are even much more dependent on the oil sector. In Libya, for instance, oil rents account for over 40 percent of the GDP. Indeed, Libya is one of the economies most dependent on oil worldwide. Similarly, oil represents for some of Africa’s largest economies a substantial source of export value. The giants do not make the ranking Most of Africa’s largest economies do not appear in the leading ten African countries for GDP per capita. The GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population. Therefore, a populated country with a low total GDP will have a low GDP per capita, while a small rich nation has a high GDP per capita. For instance, South Africa has Africa’s highest GDP, but also counts the sixth-largest population, so wealth has to be divided into its big population. The GDP per capita also indicates how a country’s wealth reaches each of its citizens. In Africa, Seychelles has the greatest GDP per capita.

Seychelles had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa as of 2024. The value amounted to 21,630 U.S. dollars. Mauritius followed with around 12,330 U.S. dollars, whereas Gabon registered 8,840 U.S. dollars. GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population, meaning that some of the largest economies are not ranked within the leading ten. Impact of COVID-19 on North Africa’s GDP When looking at the GDP growth rate in Africa in 2024, Libya had the largest estimated growth in Northern Africa, a value of 7.8 percent compared to the previous year. Niger and Senegal were at the top of the list with rates of 10.4 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the economy was severe. The growth of the North African real GDP was estimated at minus 1.1 percent in 2020. However, estimations for 2022 looked much brighter, as it was set that the region would see a GDP growth of six percent, compared to four percent in 2021.
Contribution of Tourism Various countries in Africa are dependent on tourism, contributing to the economy. In 2023, travel and tourism were estimated to contribute 182.6 billion U.S. dollars, a clear increase from 96.5 in 2020 following COVID-19. As of 2024, South Africa, Mauritius, and Egypt led tourism in the continent according to the Travel & Tourism Development Index.

This dataset provides values for GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

As of 2023, the GDP of Africa was estimated at roughly 3.1 trillion U.S. dollars. This was the highest value since 2010 when the continent's GDP amounted to approximately 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars. The GDP value in Africa generally followed an upward trend in recent years and was estimated to exceed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars by 2027.

Leading the charge: the three leading African economies

Among the African countries, in 2021, Nigeria had the highest GDP with approximately 442 billion U.S. dollars. South Africa and Egypt followed. These three countries have the largest economies for various reasons. The most notable factors are their population size, natural resources, and level of economic development. Furthermore, Africa was projected to have a real GDP growth rate of 3.9 percent in 2023. Libya was the economy experiencing the highest growth rate in that year.

The Sub-Saharan African economy on the rise

A global comparison showed that Sub-Saharan Africa had the smallest GDP among all world regions in 2021, amounting to 1.87 trillion U.S. dollars. A closer look revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa had a GDP per capita of 1,626.3 U.S. dollars in 2021, again the lowest worldwide. However, the region's economy was forecast to experience continued growth in the following years, with the real GDP increasing by 3.7 percent in 2023.

This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

This dataset provides values for GDP ANNUAL GROWTH RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

South Africa's GDP amounted to just over 418 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, the highest in Southern Africa. Zimbabwe ranked second, with a GDP worth around 37 billion U.S. dollars. Lesotho, on the other hand, ranked the lowest with a GDP of over 2.4 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2024, Niger's real GDP is estimated to grow by 10.4 percent compared to the previous year. During 2023, the GDP is estimated to have increased by only 1.4 percent, nevertheless a positive trend. The country's real GDP is forecast to continue growing but at a slower pace. Between 2025 and 2029, it is expected to grow annually by roughly six percent. Furthermore, the GDPs of Senegal, Libya, and Rwanda might increase by around 8.3 percent, 7.8 percent, and 6.9 percent during 2024, respectively. Niger: A dependence on agriculture A large portion of Niger's economy comes from agriculture. In 2022, agriculture accounted for almost 40 percent of the GDP. Niger is not the only country in Africa where agriculture plays a crucial role. For example, agriculture made up nearly 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s GDP in 2022. Such dependence could mean that any disruptions in the agricultural products market could have significant effects on the country's GDP. Sub-Saharan Africa's economy will be among the fastest-growing regions worldwide Three African countries have significantly larger economies, namely, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. As of 2022, these countries' GDP stood at nearly 477.4 billion, 475.2 billion, and 405.7 billion U.S. dollars. Furthermore, it is anticipated that Sub-Saharan Africa's GDP growth in 2026 will rank as the second-fastest growing economic region in the world after the ASEAN-5 countries, with a growth rate of approximately four percent. In contrast, economic areas such as the European Union are forecast to grow at only about 1.5 percent in the same year.

The average for 2024 based on 52 countries was 6829 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in the Seychelles: 29242 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Burundi: 836 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa was worth 400.26 billion US dollars in 2024, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of South Africa represents 0.38 percent of the world economy. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa GDP - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The average for 2021 based on 12 countries was 29.07 percent. The highest value was in the Central African Republic: 33.1 percent and the lowest value was in Guinea-Bissau: 26.1 percent. The indicator is available from 1963 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Under current climate policies, Sudan would face a GDP loss of ** percent by 2050 and a shrinkage of over ** percent by 2100 due to climate change. According to the source's estimates, this would be the most significant loss among all assessed countries in Africa. Even in a scenario of limiting temperatures to *** degrees Celsius, the damage to Sudan's economy would stand at a GDP reduction of ** percent by 2050 and ** percent by 2100. Eight out of 10 countries estimated to record the largest GDP reduction because of climate change globally were located in Africa. The estimates did not consider potential adaptation measures to alleviate the economic loss.

In 2022, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa reached 2,150.6 U.S. dollars, the highest value since 2015. In 2014, the value per capita was higher, at 2,316 U.S. dollars. The GDP per capita on the continent was set to follow an upward trend in the coming years to reach nearly 2,700 U.S. dollars by 2026.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa expanded 0.50 percent in the third quarter of 2025 over the previous quarter. This dataset provides - South Africa GDP Growth Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in South Africa was last recorded at 5708.96 US dollars in 2024. The GDP per Capita in South Africa is equivalent to 45 percent of the world's average. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - South Africa GDP per capita - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

This dataset provides values for INFLATION RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

This statistic shows the distribution of the gross domestic product (GDP) across economic sectors in South Africa from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, agriculture had contributed around 2.62 percent to the GDP of South Africa, whereas industry and services had contributed 24.62 and 62.61 percent of the total value added, respectively.

The average for 2024 based on 53 countries was 6.06 index points. The highest value was in Eritrea: 8.7 index points and the lowest value was in Equatorial Guinea: 3.4 index points. The indicator is available from 2007 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has unsettled the political, economic and social structures of the world. Yet, in the context of global economies in recession, opportunities also abound for many countries, including in Africa, to pursue new directions in governance and management. For instance, the pandemic may be closing gaps between the so-called developed and the developing worlds, thereby giving African countries some geopolitical and economic leverage, both in terms of international alliances and managing fiscal challenges. This project, using the case of Sierra Leonne, focuses on how African countries can chart new paths is their management and governance of foreign aid. The project investigates how aid-funded projects are implemented in Africa using the yardstick of the World Bank’s International Good Governance Standard and, in the process, answers the question of how African countries can alternatively and efficiently administer and manage foreign aid-funded projects? This question is important because Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the world’s most aided regions. Aid as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the region has averaged around 5% for much of the past two decades. Aid has reached nearly 10% at times and still equals nearly 6% of the region’s GDP. Yet, the growth records of nearly all African countries have thus far been unsatisfactory compared with the amount of aid funds received. The case of high aid flows into African economies, on one hand, and evidence of abysmal growth outcomes, on the other, have led to questions about the usefulness of foreign aid. At a time when Africa’s traditional donor countries are biting the dust, due to the pandemic, these questions become even more crucial. The project calls for a rethink of Africa’s economic management practices to meet the needs of present times.

This dataset provides values for CORRUPTION RANK reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.