South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Gross domestic product (GDP)
South Africa
797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
United Arab Emirates
812.83 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2023
South Africa rank
35th
United Arab Emirates rank
33rd
Gross domestic product (GDP) over time
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
United Arab Emirates currently reports 812.83 billion international-$ in 2021 prices against 797.74 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa, a difference of 15.10 billion international-$ in 2021 prices.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1986 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 35th and United Arab Emirates ranks 33rd of 184 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 373.59 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 220.77 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 152.82 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 1990s | 449.38 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 282.88 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 166.50 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 2000s | 677.13 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 557.57 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 119.55 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 2010s | 858.65 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 799.94 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 58.71 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 2020s | 786.86 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 766.56 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 20.29 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 United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates, at 812.83 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 United Arab Emirates?
- 15.10 billion international-$ in 2021 prices, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Arab Emirates?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1986 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and United Arab Emirates rank globally for gross domestic product (gdp)?
- South Africa ranks 35th and United Arab Emirates ranks 33rd of 184 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) β 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Total economic output of a country or region per year. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.