Gross domestic product (GDP), per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Gross domestic product (GDP), per square kilometre was 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
124th
of 198 countries
All-time high
713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
351,755 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre
in 1992
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Gross domestic product (GDP), per square kilometre in South Africa, 1990–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre for gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 351,755 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre, in 1992.
That places South Africa 124th out of 198 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Gross domestic product (GDP), per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 363,134 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | — |
| 1991 | 359,437 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 351,755 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 356,094 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 367,489 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 378,881 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 395,173 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 405,448 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 407,475 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 417,254 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 434,779 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 446,518 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 463,041 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 476,697 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 498,407 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 524,709 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 554,112 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 583,816 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 602,446 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 593,179 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 611,210 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 630,577 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 645,687 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 661,736 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 671,091 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 679,962 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 684,481 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 692,407 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 703,186 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 705,014 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 661,522 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | -6.2% |
| 2021 | 693,663 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 707,940 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | +0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.26 million international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre, 57% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 278,272 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre, 2.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 380,214 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 351,755 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 417,254 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 517,770 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 434,779 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 602,446 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 668,535 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 611,210 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 705,014 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 694,193 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 661,522 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 121 Chile 783,367 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre compare
- 122 Morocco 764,932 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre compare
- 123 Eswatini 728,395 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre compare
- 125 Uganda 677,254 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre compare
- 126 Fiji 667,428 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre compare
- 127 Cambodia 660,877 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0094 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -61.95 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -192.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0051 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -33.37 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre in South Africa was 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 713,646 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 351,755 international-$ in 2021 prices per square kilometre in 1992.
- How does South Africa rank for gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 124th out of 198 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross domestic product (gdp), per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Gross domestic product (GDP), per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Gross domestic product (GDP) ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Gross domestic product (GDP) Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.