South Africa: GDP (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, South Africa's GDP (current US$) rose 6.5% on 2024 (from US$401.14 billion to US$427.18 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 14.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 52.6% in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 24% in 1985. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$6.59 billion a year. A straight line explains 35% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, South Africa had the 39th highest value of the 186 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to South Africa in the 2025 ranking

• Bangladesh — 36th of 186: US$456.32 billion
• Romania — 37th of 186: US$428.68 billion
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 38th of 186: US$427.31 billion
• Pakistan — 40th of 186: US$407.31 billion
• Czechia — 41st of 186: US$391.03 billion
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 42nd of 186: US$365.26 billion

What this measures

Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Gross domestic product (GDP), though widely tracked, may not always be the most relevant summary of aggregated economic performance for all economies, especially when production occurs at the expense of consuming capital stock. While GDP estimates based on the production approach are generally more reliable than estimates compiled from the income or expenditure side, different countries use different definitions, methods, and reporting standards. World Bank staff review the quality of national accounts data and sometimes make adjustments to improve consistency with international guidelines. Nevertheless, significant discrepancies remain between international standards and actual practice.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 66 values

GDP (current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$122.18 billion (2025)
• Benin — US$24.57 billion (2025)
• Botswana — US$19.93 billion (2025)
• Burkina Faso — US$27.63 billion (2025)
• Burundi — US$3.36 billion (2025)
• Cabo Verde — US$3.06 billion (2025)
• Cameroon — US$58.93 billion (2025)
• Central African Republic — US$3.07 billion (2025)
• Chad — US$21.47 billion (2025)
• Comoros — US$1.81 billion (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — US$91.03 billion (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — US$16.31 billion (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for South Africa

• Trade in services (% of GDP) — 9.32% (2025)
• Communications, computer, etc. (% of service imports, BoP) — 44.9% (2025)
• Primary income payments (BoP, current US$) — US$20.32 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$, BoP) — US$126.24 billion (2025)
• Insurance and financial services (% of service imports, BoP) — 5.58% (2025)
• Goods imports (current US$, BoP) — US$104.47 billion (2025)
• Service imports (current US$, BoP) — US$21.77 billion (2025)
• Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) — US$1.74 billion (2025)
• Imports of goods, services and primary income (current US$, BoP)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is South Africa's GDP (current US$)?

US$427.18 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 4,783% from US$8.75 billion in 1960 (6.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$458.2 billion in 2011 and the lowest US$8.75 billion in 1960.

How does South Africa rank?

39th highest of 186 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in GDP (current US$) unusual for South Africa?

In 2025, South Africa's GDP (current US$) rose 6.5% on 2024 (from US$401.14 billion to US$427.18 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.1% and a typical year strayed about 14.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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