South Africa vs United States
South Africa vs United States: GDP per person
GDP per person in 2025: $5,713 in South Africa and $67,950 in United States, by World Bank estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $62,237, or 12 times that in South Africa.
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1960.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 101 and United States ranked 6 of 186 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: $12,130 in 2025.
Every year
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
| Year | South Africa | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,713 | $67,950 | $12,130 |
| 2024 | $5,715 | $66,860 | $11,890 |
| 2023 | $5,757 | $65,670 | $11,670 |
| 2022 | $5,787 | $64,320 | $11,450 |
| 2021 | $5,751 | $63,100 | $11,170 |
| 2020 | $5,570 | $59,530 | $10,580 |
| 2019 | $6,033 | $61,050 | $11,000 |
| 2018 | $6,117 | $59,820 | $10,820 |
| 2017 | $6,126 | $58,440 | $10,590 |
| 2016 | $6,095 | $57,430 | $10,360 |
| 2015 | $6,112 | $56,850 | $10,190 |
| 2014 | $6,155 | $55,670 | $10,000 |
| 2013 | $6,171 | $54,730 | $9,811 |
| 2012 | $6,122 | $54,000 | $9,654 |
| 2011 | $6,067 | $53,220 | $9,515 |
| 2010 | $5,954 | $52,810 | $9,322 |
| 2009 | $5,847 | $51,860 | $9,028 |
| 2008 | $6,010 | $53,700 | $9,266 |
| 2007 | $5,891 | $54,150 | $9,191 |
| 2006 | $5,651 | $53,600 | $8,913 |
| 2005 | $5,406 | $52,650 | $8,639 |
| 2004 | $5,187 | $51,350 | $8,409 |
| 2003 | $5,012 | $49,910 | $8,151 |
| 2002 | $4,917 | $48,970 | $8,011 |
| 2001 | $4,786 | $48,600 | $7,932 |
| 2000 | $4,701 | $48,620 | $7,880 |
| 1999 | $4,553 | $47,230 | $7,639 |
| 1998 | $4,495 | $45,600 | $7,479 |
| 1997 | $4,527 | $44,150 | $7,382 |
| 1996 | $4,466 | $42,780 | $7,203 |
| 1995 | $4,337 | $41,710 | $7,058 |
| 1994 | $4,258 | $41,110 | $6,944 |
| 1993 | $4,194 | $40,000 | $6,819 |
| 1992 | $4,226 | $39,450 | $6,801 |
| 1991 | $4,396 | $38,640 | $6,773 |
| 1990 | $4,544 | $39,200 | $6,804 |
| 1989 | $4,687 | $38,910 | $6,741 |
| 1988 | $4,714 | $37,890 | $6,620 |
| 1987 | $4,664 | $36,700 | $6,446 |
| 1986 | $4,713 | $35,790 | $6,326 |
| 1985 | $4,865 | $34,920 | $6,233 |
| 1984 | $5,092 | $33,820 | $6,120 |
| 1983 | $5,015 | $31,810 | $5,947 |
| 1982 | $5,291 | $30,700 | $5,903 |
| 1981 | $5,499 | $31,560 | $5,986 |
| 1980 | $5,400 | $31,080 | $5,980 |
| 1979 | $5,221 | $31,460 | $5,978 |
| 1978 | $5,168 | $30,830 | $5,843 |
| 1977 | $5,156 | $29,530 | $5,710 |
| 1976 | $5,302 | $28,510 | $5,591 |
| 1975 | $5,328 | $27,310 | $5,410 |
| 1974 | $5,386 | $27,640 | $5,467 |
| 1973 | $5,221 | $28,040 | $5,465 |
| 1972 | $5,137 | $26,800 | $5,236 |
| 1971 | $5,201 | $25,730 | $5,061 |
| 1970 | $5,136 | $25,230 | $4,964 |
| 1969 | $5,030 | $25,470 | $4,885 |
| 1968 | $4,954 | $24,950 | $4,707 |
| 1967 | $4,907 | $24,040 | $4,535 |
| 1966 | $4,722 | $23,710 | $4,461 |
| 1965 | $4,664 | $22,530 | $4,321 |
| 1964 | $4,532 | $21,440 | $4,176 |
| 1963 | $4,329 | $20,550 | $3,999 |
| 1962 | $4,156 | $19,970 | $3,889 |
| 1961 | $4,032 | $19,110 | $3,759 |
| 1960 | $3,993 | $18,990 | $3,667 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The value of everything produced in the country in a year, divided by its people, in 2015 US dollars so that years compare.
- Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
- Ranks count the 186 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025