South Africa vs Zambia

South Africa vs Zambia: GDP growth

GDP growth in 2025: 1.1% a year in South Africa and 3.8% a year in Zambia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 2.6 percentage points, or 3.37 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · IMF

South Africa vs Zambia: GDP growthGDP growth in 2025: 1.1% a year in South Africa and 3.8% a year in Zambia, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Zambia, by 2.6 percentage points, or 3.37 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaZambiaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • Zambia has been higher since 2001, when it overtook South Africa.
  • In 2025, South Africa ranked 120 and Zambia ranked 58 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 1.8% a year and Zambia at 5.3% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearSouth AfricaZambia
20251.13.8
20240.53.8
20230.85.4
20222.15.2
20214.96.2
2020-6.2-2.8
20190.31.4
20181.64
20171.23.5
20160.73.8
20151.32.9
20141.44.7
20132.55.1
20122.47.6
20113.25.6
2010310.3
2009-1.59.2
20083.27.8
20075.48.4
20065.67.9
20055.37.2
20044.67
20032.96.9
20023.74.5
20012.75.3
20004.23.9
19992.44.7
19980.5-0.4
19972.63.8
19964.36.2
19953.12.9
19943.2-13.3
19931.2-0.1
1992-2.12.1
1991-1-0.7
1990-0.3-0.6
19892.4-3.7
19884.29.3
19872.11.5
198601.7
1985-1.21.2
19845.1-1.7
1983-1.8-1.1
1982-0.4-2.9
19815.46.6
19806.63.9
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearSouth AfricaZambia
202615.6
20271.34.9
20281.55
20291.75.3
20301.85.3
20311.85.3

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 Zambia

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment