South Africa vs Switzerland: Gross domestic product (GDP)

South Africa
797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
Switzerland
797.97 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
South Africa rank
35th
Switzerland rank
34th

Gross domestic product (GDP) over time

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

How they compare

Switzerland currently reports 797.97 billion international-$ in 2021 prices against 797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa, a difference of 238.00 million international-$ in 2021 prices.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 35th and Switzerland ranks 34th of 184 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 6 and Switzerland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Switzerland Difference Ahead
1950s 103.33 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 104.45 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 1.12 billion international-$ in 2021 prices Switzerland
1960s 164.77 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 168.83 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 4.05 billion international-$ in 2021 prices Switzerland
1970s 261.41 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 226.36 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 35.04 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
1980s 356.45 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 260.68 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 95.77 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
1990s 449.38 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 327.24 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 122.14 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
2000s 677.13 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 426.77 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 250.36 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
2010s 858.65 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 652.38 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 206.26 billion international-$ in 2021 prices South Africa
2020s 786.86 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 771.08 billion international-$ in 2021 prices 15.78 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), South Africa or Switzerland?
Switzerland, at 797.97 billion international-$ in 2021 prices against 797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in gross domestic product (gdp) between South Africa and Switzerland?
238.00 million international-$ in 2021 prices, with Switzerland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for gross domestic product (gdp)?
South Africa ranks 35th and Switzerland ranks 34th 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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South Africa vs Switzerland: Gross domestic product (GDP). Statizoid, drawing on Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/gdp-penn-world-table/south-africa/switzerland/

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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.