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.
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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.
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This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA PPP0 reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.
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.
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The average for 2024 based on 52 countries was 2576.84 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in the Seychelles: 16586.41 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Burundi: 255.6 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.
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.
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.
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The average for 2024 based on 46 countries was 2323.02 U.S. dollars. The highest value was in the Seychelles: 16586.41 U.S. dollars and the lowest value was in Burundi: 255.6 U.S. dollars. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.
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Africa Gdp Per Capita Growth Annual Percentage Dataset
Overview
This dataset contains gdp per capita growth (annual %) data for African countries from the World Bank Economy & Growth indicators.
Data Details
Indicator Code: NY.GDP.PCAP.KD.ZG Description: GDP per capita growth (annual %) Geographic Coverage: 54 African countries Time Period: 1960-2024 Data Points: 3,510 observations Coverage: 100.00% of possible country-year combinations
File Formats… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/africa-gdp-per-capita-growth-annual-percentage.
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Africa Gdp Per Capita Current USD Dataset
Overview
This dataset contains gdp per capita (current us$) data for African countries from the World Bank Economy & Growth indicators.
Data Details
Indicator Code: NY.GDP.PCAP.CD Description: GDP per capita (current US$) Geographic Coverage: 54 African countries Time Period: 1960-2024 Data Points: 3,510 observations Coverage: 100.00% of possible country-year combinations
File Formats
Main Dataset… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/africa-gdp-per-capita-current-usd.
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Graph and download economic data for Constant GDP per capita for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (NYGDPPCAPKDSSA) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, per capita, and GDP.
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Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product Per Capita: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa (NYGDPPCAPCDSSF) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, per capita, income, and GDP.
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Africa Gdp Per Capita Ppp Current International $ Dataset
Overview
This dataset contains gdp per capita, ppp (current international $) data for African countries from the World Bank Economy & Growth indicators.
Data Details
Indicator Code: NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD Description: GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) Geographic Coverage: 54 African countries Time Period: 1960-2024 Data Points: 3,510 observations Coverage: 100.00% of possible country-year… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/africa-gdp-per-capita-ppp-current-international-usd.
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Historical dataset showing Africa GDP per capita by year from N/A to N/A.
The Seychelles' GDP per capita amounted to 22,000 U.S. dollars in 2025, the highest in East Africa. Mauritius ranked second, with a GDP per capita worth around 13,000 U.S. dollars. Burundi, on the other hand, had the lowest average income per person, at about 160 U.S. dollars.
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Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product Per Capita for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (NYGDPPCAPCDSSA) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, per capita, and GDP.
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.
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License information was derived automatically
Key information about South Africa GDP Per Capita
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License information was derived automatically
Historical dataset showing Sub-Saharan Africa GDP per capita by year from 1960 to 2023.
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.