Iran vs South Africa

Iran vs South Africa: GDP growth

GDP growth in 2025: -0.9% a year in Iran and 1.1% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2 percentage points.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · IMF

Iran vs South Africa: GDP growthGDP growth in 2025: -0.9% a year in Iran and 1.1% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2 percentage points.
IranSouth AfricaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • South Africa has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Iran.
  • In 2025, Iran ranked 141 and South Africa ranked 120 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iran at 2% a year and South Africa at 1.8% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearIranSouth Africa
2025-0.91.1
20243.70.5
20235.30.8
20224.42.1
20214.14.9
20204.4-6.2
2019-2.40.3
2018-3.71.6
201731.2
20166.50.7
2015-1.41.3
201451.4
2013-1.52.5
2012-3.72.4
20115.73.2
20105.83
20091-1.5
20080.33.2
20078.25.4
200655.6
20053.25.3
20044.34.6
20038.62.9
20028.13.7
20012.42.7
20005.84.2
199922.4
19982.10.5
19971.42.6
19966.44.3
19952.43.1
1994-1.73.2
1993-1.51.2
19923.3-2.1
199112.7-1
199013.6-0.3
19896.12.4
1988-6.14.2
1987-0.22.1
1986-9.80
19851.9-1.2
1984-7.15.1
198311.1-1.8
198223.2-0.4
1981-5.75.4
1980-21.66.6
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearIranSouth Africa
2026-7.61
20273.61.3
20281.51.5
20291.81.7
203021.8
203121.8

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
  • Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
  • The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
  • Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Iran vs South Africa

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