GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: GDP growth was 4.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 4.1% for gdp growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.5% on the previous year and up 41.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 9.0% in 1969 and was at its lowest, -3.3%, in 2020.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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, 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
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 873.35 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (current US$), per capita 1,673 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per 1,522 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.9096 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 4.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 1,562 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.9339 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 11.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.2162 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Gdp growth in Sub-Saharan Africa 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?
- The highest recorded value was 9.0% in 1969.
- What is the lowest gdp growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.3% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for gdp growth?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 23rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is gdp growth rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 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 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.