Malaysia vs South Africa: Gross domestic product (GDP)
Malaysia
1.28 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2025
South Africa
880.05 billion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2025
Malaysia rank
29th
South Africa rank
32nd
Gross domestic product (GDP) over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 1.28 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices against 880.05 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa, a difference of 395.78 billion international-$ in 2021 prices.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.4 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 32nd of 198 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 315.65 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 461.23 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 145.58 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 2000s | 524.92 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 628.10 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 103.18 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | South Africa |
| 2010s | 848.68 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 810.99 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 37.69 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 1.13 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 853.15 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | 275.16 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gross domestic product (gdp), Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 1.28 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices against 880.05 billion international-$ in 2021 prices in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in gross domestic product (gdp) between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 395.78 billion international-$ in 2021 prices, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for gross domestic product (gdp)?
- Malaysia ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 32nd of 198 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) β with minor 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.