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

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.

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.

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.

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 GDP per capita in Libya was estimated at around 7,200 U.S. dollars in 2022. Libya had the highest GDP per capita in North Africa in that year. Algeria followed, with a GDP per capita of approximately 4,300 U.S. dollars. In total, Egypt was the largest economy in the region.

Botswana's GDP per capita amounted to eight thousand U.S. dollars in 2025, the highest in Southern Africa. South Africa ranked second, with a GDP per capita worth around 6.5 thousand U.S. dollars. Mozambique, on the other hand, had the lowest average product per person, of about 680 U.S. dollars.

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.

In 2025, Luxembourg was the country with the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. Of the 20 listed countries, 13 are in Europe and five are in Asia, alongside the U.S. and Australia. There are no African or Latin American countries among the top 20. Correlation with high living standards While GDP is a useful indicator for measuring the size or strength of an economy, GDP per capita is much more reflective of living standards. For example, when compared to life expectancy or indices such as the Human Development Index or the World Happiness Report, there is a strong overlap - 14 of the 20 countries on this list are also ranked among the 20 happiest countries in 2024, and all 20 have "very high" HDIs. Misleading metrics? GDP per capita figures, however, can be misleading, and to paint a fuller picture of a country's living standards then one must look at multiple metrics. GDP per capita figures can be skewed by inequalities in wealth distribution, and in countries such as those in the Middle East, a relatively large share of the population lives in poverty while a smaller number live affluent lifestyles.

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.

19 of the 20 countries with the lowest estimated GDP per capita in the world in 2024 are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Sudan is believed to have a GDP per capita of just 351.02 U.S. dollars - for reference, Luxembourg has the highest GDP per capita in the world, at almost 130,000 U.S. dollars, which is around 400 times larger than that of Burundi (U.S. GDP per capita is over 250 times higher than Burundi's). Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa Many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa have been among the most impoverished in the world for over a century, due to lacking nutritional and sanitation infrastructures, persistent conflict, and political instability. These issues are also being exacerbated by climate change, where African nations are some of the most vulnerable in the world, as well as the population boom that will place over the 21st century. Of course, the entire population of Sub-Saharan Africa does not live in poverty, and countries in the southern part of the continent, as well as oil-producing states around the Gulf of Guinea, do have some pockets of significant wealth (especially in urban areas). However, while GDP per capita may be higher in these countries, wealth distribution is often very skewed, and GDP per capita figures are not representative of average living standards across the population. Outside of Africa Yemen is the only country outside of Africa to feature on the list, due to decades of civil war and instability. Yemen lags very far behind some of its neighboring Arab states, some of whom rank among the richest in the world due to their much larger energy sectors. Additionally, the IMF does not make estimates for Afghanistan, which would also likely feature on this list.

The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Africa is forecast to reach **** thousand U.S. dollars between 2056 and 2065. Estimates show that this economic indicator would continue to grow significantly in the coming years. For comparison, in the ten years from 1996 to 2005, the average GDP per capita on the continent was below ************* U.S. dollars. As of 2019, Seychelles and Mauritius were the countries with the highest GDP per capita in Africa, at nearly ** thousand and ** thousand U.S. dollars, respectively.

Key information about South Africa GDP Per Capita

• South Africa Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per Capita reached 6,474.783 USD in Dec 2024, compared with 6,223.776 USD in Dec 2023.
• South Africa GDP Per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1957 to Dec 2024, with an average number of 3,058.360 USD.
• The data reached an all-time high of 20,596.090 USD in Dec 2025 and a record low of 814.130 in Dec 2004.
• CEIC converts annual GDP per Capita into USD. South African Reserve Bank provides GDP per Capita in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.

Related information about South Africa GDP Per Capita data

• In the latest reports, South Africa GDP expanded 1.051 % YoY in Jun 2025.
• South Africa Nominal GDP reached 103.116 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• Its GDP deflator (implicit price deflator) increased 1.703 % in Jun 2025.
• Gross Savings Rate of South Africa was measured at 13.500 % in Jun 2025.

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.

South Africa ZA: GDP: per Capita data was reported at 82,017.243 ZAR in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 77,662.723 ZAR for 2016. South Africa ZA: GDP: per Capita data is updated yearly, averaging 6,542.317 ZAR from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82,017.243 ZAR in 2017 and a record low of 309.964 ZAR in 1960. South Africa ZA: GDP: per Capita data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Gross Domestic Product: Nominal. GDP per capita is gross domestic product divided by midyear population. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current local currency.; ; World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; ;

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Equatorial Guinea was last recorded at 5041.94 US dollars in 2024. The GDP per Capita in Equatorial Guinea is equivalent to 40 percent of the world's average. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Equatorial Guinea GDP per capita - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

The statistic shows gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2019 to 2023, with projections up until 2029. GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year. It is considered to be a very important indicator of the economic strength of a country and a positive change is an indicator of economic growth. In 2023, aggregated GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa amounted to around 5,178.62 U.S. dollars.

Key information about Ivory Coast GDP Per Capita

• Ivory Coast Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per Capita reached 2,272.556 USD in Dec 2022, compared with 2,612.331 USD in Dec 2021.
• Ivory Coast GDP Per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1960 to Dec 2022, with an average number of 942.959 USD.
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,612.331 USD in Dec 2021 and a record low of 163.785 in Dec 1960.
• CEIC calculates GDP per Capita from annual Nominal GDP and annual Population and converts it into USD. The Central Bank of West African States provides Nominal GDP in local currency. The Central Bank of West African States provides Population. The International Monetary Fund average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Mid-year Population is used in the calculation of GDP per Capita.

Related information about Ivory Coast GDP Per Capita data

• In the latest reports, Ivory Coast GDP expanded 6.764 % YoY in Dec 2022.
• Ivory Coast Nominal GDP reached 11.011 USD bn in Sep 2022.
• Its GDP deflator (implicit price deflator) increased 2.355 % in Dec 2022.
• Gross Savings Rate of Ivory Coast was measured at 22.214 % in Dec 2022.

Key information about South Africa Real GDP Growth

• The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in South Africa expanded 1.1 % YoY in Jun 2025, following a growth of 0.5 % in the previous quarter.
• Real GDP Growth YoY data in South Africa is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1961 to Jun 2025, with an average rate of -1.3 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 19.2 % in Jun 2021 and a record low of -16.8 % in Jun 2020.

CEIC calculates Real GDP Growth from quarterly Real GDP. Statistics South Africa provides Real GDP in local currency, at 2015 prices. Real GDP Growth prior to Q1 1994 is calculated from Real GDP at 2010 prices.


Related information about South Africa Real GDP Growth

• In the latest reports, Nominal GDP of South Africa reached 103.1 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• Its GDP deflator (implicit price deflator) increased 1.7 % in Jun 2025.
• GDP Per Capita in South Africa reached 6,474.8 USD in Dec 2024.
• Its Gross Savings Rate was measured at 13.5 % in Jun 2025.
• For Nominal GDP contributions, Investment accounted for 14.5 % in Jun 2025.
• Public Consumption accounted for 18.5 % in Jun 2025.
• Private Consumption accounted for 64.0 % in Jun 2025.