Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person was 1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 1.0% for annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in 2025.
That represents a change of up 43.5% on the previous year and up 94.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 3.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, -4.1%, in 2020.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 31st out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.5% | — |
| 2001 | 1.2% | +132.0% |
| 2002 | 3.3% | +186.2% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | -67.8% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +237.4% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | -15.0% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 3.4% | +7.2% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -24.3% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -61.2% |
| 2010 | 3.7% | +270.0% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -55.1% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | +35.5% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -38.2% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +102.2% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -81.9% |
| 2016 | -1.2% | -337.3% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -136.4% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -15.9% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -16.2% |
| 2020 | -4.1% | -1422.6% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | -113.2% |
| 2022 | -0.4% | -168.5% |
| 2023 | -0.5% | +21.6% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -253.3% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | +43.5% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -1422.6% | 0.3% | -4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.3% | 0.5% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | -1.2% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.4% | -4.1% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 28 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.9% compare
- 29 Czechia 3.9% compare
- 30 Benin 3.8% compare
- 31 Lithuania 3.7% compare
- 32 Albania 3.7% compare
- 33 Philippines 3.7% compare
- 34 Cabo Verde 3.6% compare
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2144 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 398.55 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2382 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per capita 384.35 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2297 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 8.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 358.68 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross national expenditure (constant 2015 US$), per capita 1,874 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Exports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 10.5 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person in Sub-Saharan Africa was 1.0% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2010.
- What is the lowest annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.1% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 31st out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is annual growth rate of real gdp per employed person rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 94.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).