Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Gross national expenditure
Gross national expenditure over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 98.6% against 98.4% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 58 shared years of data; in 1968 it was South Africa ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 120th and South Africa ranks 119th of 186 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 76.9% | 90.0% | 13.1% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 62.3% | 95.3% | 33.0% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 97.0% | 97.7% | 0.7% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 92.6% | 98.8% | 6.2% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 77.5% | 97.3% | 19.8% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 87.9% | 100.2% | 12.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 94.6% | 97.1% | 2.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gross national expenditure, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 98.6% against 98.4% in Saudi Arabia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in gross national expenditure between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 58 years are reported by both, from 1968 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for gross national expenditure?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 120th and South Africa ranks 119th of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as Gross national expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Gross national expenditure is the sum of household final consumption expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, and gross capital formation. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.