GDP per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: GDP per capita growth was 1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
GDP per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, gdp per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 1.6%.
The figure is up 47.0% on the previous year and up 729.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 6.1% in 1969 and was at its lowest, -5.7%, in 2020.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 31st 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 per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -1.3% | — |
| 1962 | 3.5% | -363.0% |
| 1963 | 3.6% | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | -35.3% |
| 1965 | 2.0% | -13.3% |
| 1966 | -0.6% | -127.3% |
| 1967 | -3.3% | +494.0% |
| 1968 | 0.5% | -113.7% |
| 1969 | 6.1% | +1253.3% |
| 1970 | 4.9% | -19.4% |
| 1971 | 4.9% | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | -95.3% |
| 1973 | 1.5% | +541.0% |
| 1974 | 4.5% | +210.8% |
| 1975 | -3.0% | -166.2% |
| 1976 | 2.2% | -174.8% |
| 1977 | -0.1% | -102.5% |
| 1978 | -3.0% | +5275.8% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | -128.2% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | -15.8% |
| 1981 | -3.7% | -618.5% |
| 1982 | -4.2% | +12.5% |
| 1983 | -5.4% | +28.1% |
| 1984 | -0.6% | -88.2% |
| 1985 | -0.9% | +42.8% |
| 1986 | -1.0% | +13.9% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -99.9% |
| 1988 | 1.5% | -272335.0% |
| 1989 | -0.5% | -134.4% |
| 1990 | -0.5% | +2.7% |
| 1991 | -2.3% | +319.5% |
| 1992 | -3.1% | +37.0% |
| 1993 | -3.7% | +18.3% |
| 1994 | -1.6% | -56.3% |
| 1995 | 0.6% | -138.4% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | +279.5% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | -42.0% |
| 1998 | -0.2% | -112.4% |
| 1999 | -0.5% | +198.1% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | -242.9% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +101.9% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | +143.8% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -62.2% |
| 2004 | 3.8% | +183.5% |
| 2005 | 3.2% | -17.6% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -29.1% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | -85.5% |
| 2010 | 3.2% | +844.0% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | -53.7% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -62.8% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | +343.3% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -20.8% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -89.7% |
| 2016 | -1.3% | -773.6% |
| 2017 | -0.2% | -88.5% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -170.2% |
| 2019 | -0.1% | -181.5% |
| 2020 | -5.7% | +6436.6% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -117.3% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | +49.2% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -85.4% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +417.0% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +47.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.4% | -3.3% | 6.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.3% | -3.0% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.4% | -5.4% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.8% | -3.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 0.3% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | -1.3% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.0% | -5.7% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 28 Kazakhstan 5.2% compare
- 29 China 5.1% compare
- 30 Djibouti 5.1% compare
- 31 Albania 5.0% compare
- 32 Guinea 5.0% compare
- 33 Turks and Caicos Islands 4.9% compare
- 34 Macau, China 4.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2516 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 361.76 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 11.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 420.94 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5017 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 839.35 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 3.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 11.23 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Gdp per capita growth in Sub-Saharan Africa was 1.6% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks.
- What is the highest gdp per capita growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 1969.
- What is the lowest gdp per capita growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.7% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for gdp per capita growth?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per capita growth rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 729.6%. 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 per capita 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. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate.This indicator denotes the percentage change over each previous year of the constant price (base year 2015) series in United States dollars.