Saudi Arabia vs South Africa
Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 4.6% a year in Saudi Arabia and 1.1% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 3.5 percentage points, or 4.12 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 2024, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 44 and South Africa ranked 120 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Saudi Arabia at 3.6% a year and South Africa at 1.8% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.6 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 2.6 | 0.5 |
| 2023 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 12 | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 6.5 | 4.9 |
| 2020 | -3.8 | -6.2 |
| 2019 | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| 2018 | 3.2 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| 2015 | 4.7 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 2013 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
| 2012 | 5.8 | 2.4 |
| 2011 | 11.8 | 3.2 |
| 2010 | 5 | 3 |
| 2009 | -1.1 | -1.5 |
| 2008 | 6.2 | 3.2 |
| 2007 | 2.2 | 5.4 |
| 2006 | 3.3 | 5.6 |
| 2005 | 5.9 | 5.3 |
| 2004 | 8.6 | 4.6 |
| 2003 | 8.8 | 2.9 |
| 2002 | -0.7 | 3.7 |
| 2001 | 0.3 | 2.7 |
| 2000 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| 1999 | -0.6 | 2.4 |
| 1998 | 2.8 | 0.5 |
| 1997 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| 1996 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
| 1995 | 0.3 | 3.1 |
| 1994 | 1 | 3.2 |
| 1993 | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| 1992 | 4.6 | -2.1 |
| 1991 | 8.2 | -1 |
| 1990 | 9.4 | -0.3 |
| 1989 | 0.4 | 2.4 |
| 1988 | 6.6 | 4.2 |
| 1987 | -3.1 | 2.1 |
| 1986 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985 | -7.2 | -1.2 |
| 1984 | -4 | 5.1 |
| 1983 | -11 | -1.8 |
| 1982 | -16.1 | -0.4 |
| 1981 | 3 | 5.4 |
| 1980 | 5.8 | 6.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -3.3 | 1 |
| 2027 | 7.9 | 1.3 |
| 2028 | 4.8 | 1.5 |
| 2029 | 3.4 | 1.7 |
| 2030 | 3.5 | 1.8 |
| 2031 | 3.6 | 1.8 |
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
Saudi Arabia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancySaudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySaudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySaudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSaudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateSaudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSaudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthSaudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSaudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSaudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageSaudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSaudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSaudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSaudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSaudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personSaudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSaudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSaudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerSaudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSaudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSaudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSaudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025