South Africa vs Tanzania

South Africa vs Tanzania: GDP growth

GDP growth: 1.1% a year in South Africa in 2025 and 5.2% a year in Tanzania in 2023, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Tanzania, by 4.3 percentage points, or 6.39 times that in South Africa.

% a year · IMF

South Africa vs Tanzania: GDP growthGDP growth: 1.1% a year in South Africa in 2025 and 5.2% a year in Tanzania in 2023, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Tanzania, by 4.3 percentage points, or 6.39 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaTanzaniaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Tanzania has been higher since 2022, when it overtook South Africa.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 1.8% a year and Tanzania at 6% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearSouth AfricaTanzania
20251.15.9
20240.55.5
20230.85.2
20222.14.7
20214.94.8
2020-6.24.5
20190.36.9
20181.67
20171.26.7
20160.76.9
20151.36.2
20141.46.7
20132.56.8
20122.45.1
20113.27.9
201036.4
2009-1.55.4
20083.25.6
20075.48.5
20065.64.7
20055.37.4
20044.67.8
20032.96.9
20023.77.2
20012.76
20004.24.9
19992.44.8
19980.53.7
19972.63.5
19964.34.5
19953.13.6
19943.21.6
19931.21.2
1992-2.10.6
1991-12.1
1990-0.37
19892.43.8
19884.24.4
19872.15.9
198606.6
1985-1.24.6
19845.13.4
1983-1.82.4
1982-0.40.6
19815.40.5
19806.63.3
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearSouth AfricaTanzania
202616
20271.35.9
20281.56
20291.76
20301.85.9
20311.86

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

South Africa vs Tanzania

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