GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: GDP per capita was 13,592 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
13,592 international-$ in 2021 prices
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
119th
of 198 countries
All-time high
14,681 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2013
All-time low
9,977 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 1993
Years of data
36
1990–2025
GDP per capita in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices.
Analysis
In 2025, gdp per capita in South Africa stood at 13,592 international-$ in 2021 prices.
The figure is down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 14,681 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2013 and was at its lowest, 9,977 international-$ in 2021 prices, in 1993.
That places South Africa 119th out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10,811 international-$ in 2021 prices | — |
| 1991 | 10,459 international-$ in 2021 prices | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 10,054 international-$ in 2021 prices | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 9,977 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 10,131 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 10,319 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 10,624 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 10,770 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 10,694 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 10,832 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 11,184 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 11,388 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 11,698 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 11,923 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 12,341 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 12,862 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.2% |
| 2006 | 13,444 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 14,016 international-$ in 2021 prices | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 14,298 international-$ in 2021 prices | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 13,911 international-$ in 2021 prices | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 14,165 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 14,434 international-$ in 2021 prices | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 14,564 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 14,681 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 14,643 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 14,542 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 14,501 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 14,574 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 14,554 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 14,353 international-$ in 2021 prices | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 13,251 international-$ in 2021 prices | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 13,682 international-$ in 2021 prices | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 13,768 international-$ in 2021 prices | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 13,695 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 13,598 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 13,592 international-$ in 2021 prices | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10,467 international-$ in 2021 prices | 9,977 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10,832 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,706 international-$ in 2021 prices | 11,184 international-$ in 2021 prices | 14,298 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,501 international-$ in 2021 prices | 14,165 international-$ in 2021 prices | 14,681 international-$ in 2021 prices | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,598 international-$ in 2021 prices | 13,251 international-$ in 2021 prices | 13,768 international-$ in 2021 prices | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 116 Libya 14,118 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 117 Fiji 13,961 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 118 Equatorial Guinea 13,786 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 120 Tunisia 13,018 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 121 Guatemala 12,986 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
- 122 Belize 12,789 international-$ in 2021 prices compare
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 7,985 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 5.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2409 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 1,589 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 2.99 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 4.31 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 28,432 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) -1.57 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Gdp per capita in South Africa was 13,592 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2025, according to Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14,681 international-$ in 2021 prices in 2013.
- What is the lowest gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,977 international-$ in 2021 prices in 1993.
- How does South Africa rank for gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 119th out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average economic output per person in a country or region per year. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.