GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): GDP growth was 4.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1961–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 4.1%.
That represents a change of up 14.5% on the previous year and up 41.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 9.0% in 1969 and was at its lowest, -3.3%, in 2020.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 23rd of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.1% | — |
| 1962 | 6.0% | +462.2% |
| 1963 | 6.2% | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 5.0% | -20.5% |
| 1965 | 4.7% | -5.8% |
| 1966 | 2.0% | -56.7% |
| 1967 | -0.8% | -137.9% |
| 1968 | 3.1% | -507.4% |
| 1969 | 9.0% | +187.5% |
| 1970 | 7.8% | -13.2% |
| 1971 | 7.7% | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | -61.7% |
| 1973 | 4.3% | +45.6% |
| 1974 | 7.5% | +75.3% |
| 1975 | -0.2% | -103.1% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | -2350.1% |
| 1977 | 2.8% | -46.6% |
| 1978 | -0.2% | -106.4% |
| 1979 | 3.9% | -2335.9% |
| 1980 | 3.7% | -5.6% |
| 1981 | -0.8% | -121.9% |
| 1982 | -1.2% | +47.8% |
| 1983 | -2.5% | +111.2% |
| 1984 | 2.3% | -188.7% |
| 1985 | 2.0% | -11.0% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | -6.9% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | +57.0% |
| 1988 | 4.5% | +52.4% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -48.7% |
| 1990 | 2.3% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -82.9% |
| 1992 | -0.5% | -227.2% |
| 1993 | -1.0% | +111.3% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | -198.7% |
| 1995 | 3.3% | +223.6% |
| 1996 | 5.1% | +54.6% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | -20.9% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -38.1% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -13.5% |
| 2000 | 3.4% | +57.7% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | +22.6% |
| 2002 | 6.4% | +51.7% |
| 2003 | 4.1% | -35.5% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | +62.2% |
| 2005 | 6.0% | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | -15.6% |
| 2009 | 3.1% | -39.5% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | +92.8% |
| 2011 | 4.3% | -29.2% |
| 2012 | 3.3% | -22.5% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | +58.5% |
| 2014 | 4.7% | -10.4% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | -37.9% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | -55.1% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | +90.4% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | +11.4% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -8.8% |
| 2020 | -3.3% | -229.1% |
| 2021 | 3.6% | -208.8% |
| 2022 | 4.0% | +12.6% |
| 2023 | 2.7% | -32.7% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | +33.2% |
| 2025 | 4.1% | +14.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.0% | -0.8% | 9.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.2% | -0.2% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.5% | -2.5% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | -1.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.1% | 3.1% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.6% | 1.3% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | -3.3% | 4.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Services, value added 1.15 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 11.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 554.02 billion current US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 478.12 billion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 4.1% (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added 25.1% (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5017 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added 1.11 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 11.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 873.35 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 4.1% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gdp growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.0% in 1969.
- What is the lowest gdp growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.3% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for gdp growth?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 23rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is gdp growth rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 41.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as part of GDP growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.