Ireland vs South Africa: Gross domestic product (GDP)

Ireland
688.78 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
South Africa
797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
Ireland rank
37th
South Africa rank
35th

Gross domestic product (GDP) over time

  • Ireland
  • South Africa
0200.0B400.0B600.0B800.0B195019862023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices against 688.78 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in Ireland, a difference of 108.96 billion international-$ in 2021 prices.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Ireland's.

Across all 74 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Ireland ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 35th of 184 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ireland South Africa Difference Ahead
1950s 19.47 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 103.33 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 83.86 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
1960s 25.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 164.77 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 139.59 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
1970s 39.66 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 261.41 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 221.75 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
1980s 58.89 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 356.45 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 297.56 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
1990s 104.50 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 449.38 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 344.88 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
2000s 237.42 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 677.13 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 439.71 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
2010s 386.14 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 858.65 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 472.51 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
2020s 683.86 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 786.86 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 103.00 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher gross domestic product (gdp), Ireland or South Africa?
South Africa, at 797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices against 688.78 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in Ireland as of 2023.
What is the difference in gross domestic product (gdp) between Ireland and South Africa?
108.96 billion international-$ in 2021 prices, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Africa?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do Ireland and South Africa rank globally for gross domestic product (gdp)?
Ireland ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 35th of 184 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Gross domestic product (GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ireland vs South Africa: Gross domestic product (GDP). Statizoid, drawing on Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/gdp-penn-world-table/ireland/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross domestic product (GDP)
Unit
international-$ in 2021 prices
Source
Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
184 places, 10,907 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Total economic output of a country or region per year. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.