Sub-Saharan Africa · Upper middle income
South Africa: the economy in numbers
Per person: $6,598, or $15,906 at purchasing power parity. Population: 64.7 million (2025).
$427B+1.1%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #40 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +1.0%.
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025 · #120 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$15,906
2025 · #119 of 197
Inflation
3.2%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 4.4%
Government debt
76.0%
2024 · % of GDP, general government
Population
64.7M
2025 · #24 of 217
Unemployment
32.4%
2025 · ILO estimate
Stock market capitalization
327.2%
2025 · % of GDP · $1.4T
Life expectancy
66.3 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $95.3 billion in 1960, $427 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $5,798 per person in 1960, $6,598 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 0.6% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 9 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 3.5 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 18.7% in 1986.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2000: 76.0% of GDP in 2024. IMF forecast for 2031: 79.8%.
General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $1.4 trillion, or 327.2% of GDP.
Population
1960: 16.4 million · 2025: 64.7 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 23.1% · 2025: 32.4%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 52.6 years · 2024: 66.3 years.
Exports of goods and services
1960: 25.6% · 2025: 31.4%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 1.8%f | 3.0%f | 79.8%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 1.8%f | 3.0%f | 79.7%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 1.7%f | 3.0%f | 79.5%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 1.5%f | 3.3%f | 78.8%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 1.3%f | 3.9%f | 78.1%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 1.0%f | 4.4%f | 78.0%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $427B | $6,598 | $15,906 | 1.1% | 3.2% | 78.4%e | 64.7M | 32.4% | 327.2% | 31.4% | |
| 2024 | $401B | $6,267 | $15,479 | 0.5% | 4.4% | 76.0% | 64M | 32.3% | 245.7% | 66.3 | 31.8% |
| 2023 | $381B | $6,034 | $15,212 | 0.8% | 6.1% | 73.2% | 63.2M | 32.1% | 268.9% | 66.1 | 33.3% |
| 2022 | $408B | $6,534 | $14,747 | 2.1% | 7.0% | 70.7% | 62.4M | 33.3% | 287.5% | 65.5 | 33.5% |
| 2021 | $420B | $6,829 | $13,682 | 4.9% | 4.6% | 68.8% | 61.5M | 34.0% | 272.2% | 62.0 | 31.2% |
| 2020 | $338B | $5,581 | $12,671 | −6.2% | 3.2% | 68.9% | 60.6M | 29.2% | 311.1% | 65.2 | 27.6% |
| 2019 | $389B | $6,534 | $13,361 | 0.3% | 4.1% | 56.1% | 59.6M | 28.5% | 271.3% | 66.1 | 27.2% |
| 2018 | $405B | $6,914 | $13,347 | 1.6% | 4.5% | 51.5% | 58.6M | 26.9% | 213.5% | 65.7 | 27.5% |
| 2017 | $381B | $6,618 | $13,738 | 1.2% | 5.2% | 48.6% | 57.6M | 27.0% | 322.7% | 65.4 | 27.3% |
| 2016 | $324B | $5,651 | $13,519 | 0.7% | 6.6% | 47.1% | 57.3M | 26.5% | 294.0% | 64.7 | 28.2% |
| 2015 | $347B | $6,112 | $13,398 | 1.3% | 4.5% | 45.2% | 56.7M | 25.1% | 212.3% | 64.1 | 27.7% |
| 2014 | $381B | $6,857 | $13,359 | 1.4% | 6.1% | 43.3% | 55.6M | 24.9% | 245.0% | 63.2 | 29.0% |
| 2013 | $401B | $7,332 | $13,369 | 2.5% | 5.8% | 40.4% | 54.7M | 24.6% | 235.2% | 62.4 | 28.4% |
| 2012 | $434B | $8,077 | $12,987 | 2.4% | 5.7% | 37.4% | 53.8M | 24.7% | 209.0% | 61.7 | 27.1% |
| 2011 | $458B | $8,646 | $13,143 | 3.2% | 5.0% | 34.7% | 53M | 24.6% | 172.2% | 60.6 | 27.7% |
| 2010 | $417B | $7,973 | $12,637 | 3.0% | 4.1% | 31.2% | 52.3M | 24.7% | 221.6% | 58.9 | 25.8% |
| 2009 | $330B | $6,375 | $12,261 | −1.5% | 7.2% | 27.0% | 51.7M | 23.5% | 242.3% | 57.4 | 25.0% |
| 2008 | $316B | $6,185 | $12,525 | 3.2% | 9.9% | 24.0% | 51.1M | 22.4% | 152.7% | 56.0 | 32.3% |
| 2007 | $333B | $6,592 | $12,047 | 5.4% | 6.2% | 24.3% | 50.5M | 22.3% | 248.6% | 54.9 | 28.0% |
| 2006 | $304B | $6,077 | $11,250 | 5.6% | 3.2% | 28.0% | 50M | 22.3% | 234.1% | 54.2 | 26.1% |
| 2005 | $289B | $5,837 | $10,441 | 5.3% | 2.1% | 29.6% | 49.5M | 22.5% | 190.2% | 53.9 | 23.6% |
| 2004 | $256B | $5,221 | $9,714 | 4.6% | −0.7% | 30.7% | 49M | 22.6% | 173.0% | 54.0 | 22.8% |
| 2003 | $197B | $4,062 | $9,139 | 2.9% | 5.7% | 31.5% | 48.5M | 22.7% | 132.3% | 54.2 | 23.9% |
| 2002 | $129B | $2,688 | $8,792 | 3.7% | 9.5% | 31.8% | 48M | 22.6% | 141.0% | 55.6 | 28.4% |
| 2001 | $135B | $2,847 | $8,428 | 2.7% | 5.7% | 38.0% | 47.6M | 22.7% | 108.9% | 57.2 | 26.4% |
| 2000 | $152B | $3,218 | $8,095 | 4.2% | 5.3% | 37.9% | 47.2M | 22.8% | 134.6% | 58.4 | 24.4% |
| 1999 | $152B | $3,242 | $7,667 | 2.4% | 5.2% | 46.7M | 22.9% | 171.4% | 59.2 | 22.3% | |
| 1998 | $153B | $3,310 | $7,463 | 0.5% | 6.9% | 46.2M | 22.7% | 110.2% | 59.9 | 22.5% | |
| 1997 | $169B | $3,700 | $7,433 | 2.6% | 8.6% | 45.7M | 22.5% | 136.1% | 60.5 | 21.7% | |
| 1996 | $163B | $3,618 | $7,208 | 4.3% | 7.4% | 45.1M | 22.5% | 148.0% | 61.1 | 21.8% | |
| 1995 | $172B | $3,856 | $6,875 | 3.1% | 8.7% | 44.5M | 22.7% | 161.5% | 61.6 | 20.0% | |
| 1994 | $154B | $3,489 | $6,611 | 3.2% | 8.9% | 44M | 23.1% | 169.1% | 62.1 | 19.5% | |
| 1993 | $147B | $3,400 | $6,375 | 1.2% | 9.7% | 43.3M | 23.4% | 147.5% | 62.6 | 19.9% | |
| 1992 | $147B | $3,462 | $6,275 | −2.1% | 13.9% | 42.4M | 23.5% | 111.6% | 62.8 | 19.0% | |
| 1991 | $135B | $3,243 | $6,383 | −1.0% | 15.3% | 41.7M | 23.1% | 136.6% | 63.0 | 19.3% | |
| 1990 | $126B | $3,093 | $6,382 | −0.3% | 14.3% | 40.7M | 108.6% | 62.9 | 21.5% | ||
| 1989 | $108B | $2,727 | 2.4% | 14.7% | 39.6M | 134.6% | 63.0 | 23.7% | |||
| 1988 | $104B | $2,702 | 4.2% | 12.8% | 38.5M | 121.4% | 62.9 | 25.8% | |||
| 1987 | $96.5B | $2,586 | 2.1% | 16.2% | 37.3M | 143.8% | 62.7 | 26.9% | |||
| 1986 | $73.4B | $2,027 | 0.0% | 18.7% | 36.2M | 139.9% | 62.4 | 27.2% | |||
| 1985 | $64.5B | $1,839 | −1.2% | 16.3% | 35M | 86.0% | 62.2 | 27.9% | |||
| 1984 | $84.9B | $2,504 | 5.1% | 11.5% | 33.9M | 62.9% | 61.8 | 22.5% | |||
| 1983 | $96.2B | $2,938 | −1.8% | 12.3% | 32.7M | 86.0% | 61.4 | 21.8% | |||
| 1982 | $85.9B | $2,717 | −0.4% | 14.6% | 31.6M | 90.6% | 60.9 | 23.4% | |||
| 1981 | $93.1B | $3,050 | 5.4% | 15.3% | 30.5M | 80.4% | 60.4 | 25.2% | |||
| 1980 | $89.4B | $3,029 | 6.6% | 13.7% | 29.5M | 62.4% | 60.0 | 31.9% | |||
| 1979 | $63B | $2,202 | 3.8% | 13.3% | 28.6M | 70.5% | 59.5 | 31.2% | |||
| 1978 | $51.6B | $1,852 | 3.0% | 11.1% | 27.9M | 60.0% | 59.0 | 28.4% | |||
| 1977 | $45.3B | $1,671 | −0.1% | 11.2% | 27.1M | 53.1% | 58.5 | 26.3% | |||
| 1976 | $41.2B | $1,559 | 2.2% | 11.0% | 26.4M | 47.9% | 58.0 | 23.9% | |||
| 1975 | $42.9B | $1,670 | 1.7% | 13.4% | 25.7M | 56.2% | 57.6 | 23.8% | |||
| 1974 | $41.4B | $1,656 | 6.1% | 11.7% | 25M | 57.1 | 24.2% | ||||
| 1973 | $33.3B | $1,369 | 4.6% | 9.4% | 24.3M | 56.7 | 21.7% | ||||
| 1972 | $24.5B | $1,038 | 1.7% | 6.4% | 23.6M | 56.4 | 21.5% | ||||
| 1971 | $23.4B | $1,020 | 4.3% | 6.0% | 22.9M | 56.0 | 18.5% | ||||
| 1970 | $21.2B | $952 | 5.2% | 5.0% | 22.3M | 55.7 | 18.4% | ||||
| 1969 | $19.3B | $891 | 4.7% | 3.2% | 21.6M | 55.4 | 20.0% | ||||
| 1968 | $17.1B | $817 | 4.2% | 2.0% | 21M | 55.2 | 22.0% | ||||
| 1967 | $15.8B | $779 | 7.2% | 3.5% | 20.3M | 55.0 | 21.4% | ||||
| 1966 | $14.2B | $722 | 4.4% | 3.5% | 19.7M | 54.7 | 22.0% | ||||
| 1965 | $13.1B | $685 | 6.1% | 4.1% | 19.1M | 54.4 | 22.3% | ||||
| 1964 | $12B | $646 | 7.9% | 2.5% | 18.5M | 54.2 | 23.8% | ||||
| 1963 | $10.9B | $605 | 7.4% | 1.3% | 18M | 53.9 | 24.8% | ||||
| 1962 | $9.81B | $563 | 6.2% | 1.2% | 17.4M | 53.6 | 25.5% | ||||
| 1961 | $9.23B | $546 | 3.8% | 2.1% | 16.9M | 53.1 | 25.3% | ||||
| 1960 | $8.75B | $532 | 1.3% | 16.4M | 52.6 | 25.6% |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d’Ivoire · DR Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · São Tomé and Príncipe · Tanzania · Togo · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
- Fiscal year: the IMF reports this economy by fiscal year (latest actual: FY2024/25), so IMF numbers can differ from calendar-year World Bank figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)