From 1820 to 1913, the global GDP almost quadrupled, from just under 700 billion FY1990 U.S. dollars to more than 2.7 trillion FY1990 USD. As Europe industrialized throughout this period, its share of the global GDP increased from roughly one-third in 1820 to 46 percent in 1913, with Western European* countries disproportionately driving this growth. However, the combined growth of North America, Australia, and New Zealand saw the most significant development over this period, rising from 14 billion FY1990 USD in 1820 to 583 billion FY1990 USD in 1913. While the Asia-Pacific region had the largest share of global GDP in 1820, the slower rate of industrialization meant that its share dropped significantly by 1913. This region saw the lowest growth rate during this period.

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.

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.

This bar chart displays GDP (current US$) by continent. The data is about regions.

South Africa's GDP was estimated at just over 403 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, the highest in Africa. Egypt followed, with a GDP worth around 380 billion U.S. dollars, and ranked as the second-highest on the continent. Algeria ranked third, with about 260 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.

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

This dataset is about countries per year and is filtered where the country includes United States, featuring 5 columns: continent, country, date, GDP, and region. The preview is ordered by date (descending).

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.

In 2024, Brazil and Mexico were expected to be the countries with the largest gross domestic product (GDP) in Latin America and the Caribbean. In that year, Brazil's GDP could reach an estimated value of 2.4 trillion U.S. dollars, whereas Mexico's amounted to almost two trillion U.S. dollars. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year. It measures the economic strength of a country and a positive change indicates economic growth.

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.

Between 1820 and 1913, Asia's share of global GDP fell from 58 percent to just 27 percent. Although Asia's overall GDP grew throughout the given period, the rapid industrialization observed across Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand saw their combined share increase from 35 percent to 67 percent, which offset Asia's growth. In particular, the combined share of North America, Australia, and New Zealand grew over ten times larger in this period, from two percent in 1820 to 21 percent in 1913.

Gross domestic product (GDP) of emerging and developing countries in Asia is expected to reach over 37.44 trillion U.S. dollars by 2029. This would be almost double the GDP from a decade earlier, which was about 20.59 trillion U.S. dollars. Emerging and developing economies are the second-largest source of global GDP. The region’s GDP generally comes from manufacturing and trade, as well as growing financial industries and international commerce. A region with growing economic power Of the countries the IMF categorizes as emerging and developing in Asia (See “More information” for full list), several are a part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an organization that provides the collaborating nations with a greater opportunity for growth and participation in the global economy than they would otherwise have. Indonesia, a founding member, has the largest economy in South East Asia, and is predicted to be one of the 15 countries worldwide with the highest GDP by 2030.

This statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in selected world regions in 2023. In North America, the gross domestic product per capita in 2023 amounted to approximately 79,640.43 U.S. dollars.

This bar chart displays GDP (current US$) by continent using the aggregation sum and is filtered where the country is St. Kitts and Nevis. The data is about countries per year.

As of 2022, the real GDP growth rate in Africa was estimated at 3.7 percent, decreasing compared to the previous year when it stood at 4.8 percent. Africa's real GDP is projected to keep a stable and constant growth trend between 2023 and 2027.

Negative impact of COVID-19

Starting in 2020, the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused economic stagnation and recession in most world regions. Economies on the African continent were also negatively affected, as the health crisis determined disruptions across all economic sectors. In 2020, Africa’s real GDP dropped to minus 1.8 percent, an exceptional negative growth rate registered on the continent. Southern Africa was the most affected region, followed by Central and Western Africa, respectively.

Forecast economic growth in Africa

In 2021 and 2022, Africa’s economy showed signs of recovery after the COVID-19 crisis. Growth was expected to continue in the following years, with the total GDP increasing from around three trillion U.S. dollars in 2020 to four trillion U.S. dollars in 2027. The African economy was set to grow at a rapid pace, especially compared to other world regions. By 2027, Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP is estimated to record a growth rate of over four percent, while the European Union’s economy would expand by less than two percent.

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.

In 2023, South Asia recorded the highest real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the Asia-Pacific region at seven percent, at least 2.7 percentage points higher than other subregions. East Asia reported a real GDP growth rate of about 4.3 percent, while Southeast Asia's real GDP growth rate was around 4.1 percent that year. In 2025, South Asia was forecasted to remain the subregion with the highest real GDP growth rate at six percent, while Southeast Asia was projected to rank second at around 4.7 percent.

This bar chart displays GDP (current US$) by continent using the aggregation sum and is filtered where the region is Western Europe. The data is about countries per year.

This dataset is about countries per year and is filtered where the country includes China. It has 5 columns: continent, country, date, GDP, and region. The data is ordered by date (descending).

This bar chart displays GDP (current US$) by continent using the aggregation sum and is filtered where the region is Middle Africa. The data is about countries.