Rwanda vs South Africa

Rwanda vs South Africa: GDP growth

GDP growth in 2025: 9.4% a year in Rwanda and 1.1% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 8.3 percentage points, or 8.41 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · IMF

Rwanda vs South Africa: GDP growthGDP growth in 2025: 9.4% a year in Rwanda and 1.1% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 8.3 percentage points, or 8.41 times that in South Africa.
RwandaSouth AfricaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Rwanda has been higher since 2004, when it overtook South Africa.
  • In 2025, Rwanda ranked 4 and South Africa ranked 120 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Rwanda at 7.1% a year and South Africa at 1.8% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearRwandaSouth Africa
20259.41.1
20247.20.5
20238.60.8
20229.82.1
20218.44.9
2020-2.8-6.2
20199.30.3
20188.11.6
20174.71.2
20165.70.7
20158.91.3
20145.71.4
20134.72.5
20128.62.4
201183.2
20107.33
20096.2-1.5
200811.23.2
20077.75.4
20069.35.6
20059.45.3
20047.54.6
20032.22.9
200213.23.7
20018.52.7
20008.44.2
19993.32.4
19988.30.5
199714.92.6
199611.64.3
199524.53.1
1994-41.93.2
1993-10.41.2
19926.6-2.1
1991-4.3-1
19900.4-0.3
1989-5.72.4
19880.34.2
1987-0.32.1
19865.50
19854.4-1.2
1984135.1
19836-1.8
1982-2.5-0.4
19812.55.4
1980-3.66.6
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearRwandaSouth Africa
20267.41
20277.21.3
202871.5
202971.7
203071.8
20317.11.8

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

Rwanda vs South Africa

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