Gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Gross savings was 19.3% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
19.3%
Change on year
up 7.4%
Rank
34th
of 42 groups
All-time high
19.3%
in 2021
All-time low
17.6%
in 2015
Years of data
8
2012–2021

Gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2012–2021

051015202012201620212012: 18 % of GDP2013: 17.8 % of GDP2014: 18.9 % of GDP2015: 17.6 % of GDP2016: 18.7 % of GDP2019: 18.7 % of GDP2020: 18 % of GDP2021: 19.3 % of GDP

Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2021, gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 19.3%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of up 7.4% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 19.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.6%, in 2015.

Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 34th of 42 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gross savings (% of GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2012 to 2021.
Year % of GDP Change
2012 18.0%
2013 17.8% -1.2%
2014 18.9% +6.1%
2015 17.6% -6.5%
2016 18.7% +6.1%
2019 18.7% +0.0%
2020 18.0% -4.1%
2021 19.3% +7.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 18.3% 17.6% 18.9% 6
2020s 18.6% 18.0% 19.3% 2

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 31 Zambia 32.2% compare
  2. 32 Japan 32.1% compare
  3. 33 Iraq 32.0% compare
  4. 34 Botswana 32.0% compare
  5. 35 Congo 31.7% compare
  6. 36 Sweden 30.6% compare
  7. 37 Papua New Guinea 30.4%

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa was 19.3% in 2021, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
What is the highest gross savings recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2021.
What is the lowest gross savings recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 17.6% in 2015.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for gross savings?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 34th out of 42 groups with data for 2021.
Is gross savings rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of Gross savings (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gross savings in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/gross-savings-percent-of-gdp/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross savings (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 8,006 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Savings is an amount that represents the part of disposable income (adjusted for the change in pension entitlements) that is not spent on final consumption. Gross savings are calculated as gross national income less total consumption, plus net transfers. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.