China vs South Africa: GDP per person employed
China
48,126 constant 2021 PPP $
in 2025
South Africa
48,694 constant 2021 PPP $
in 2025
China rank
84th
South Africa rank
82nd
GDP per person employed over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ against 48,126 constant 2021 PPP $ in China, a difference of 568 constant 2021 PPP $.
Across all 35 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
China ranks 84th and South Africa ranks 82nd of 177 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5,157 constant 2021 PPP $ | 37,156 constant 2021 PPP $ | 31,998 constant 2021 PPP $ | South Africa |
| 2000s | 11,571 constant 2021 PPP $ | 42,830 constant 2021 PPP $ | 31,260 constant 2021 PPP $ | South Africa |
| 2010s | 26,932 constant 2021 PPP $ | 50,749 constant 2021 PPP $ | 23,817 constant 2021 PPP $ | South Africa |
| 2020s | 42,631 constant 2021 PPP $ | 50,736 constant 2021 PPP $ | 8,106 constant 2021 PPP $ | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gdp per person employed, China or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ against 48,126 constant 2021 PPP $ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in gdp per person employed between China and South Africa?
- 568 constant 2021 PPP $, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for gdp per person employed?
- China ranks 84th and South Africa ranks 82nd of 177 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Estimates are based on employment, population, GDP, and PPP data obtained from International Labour Organization, United Nations Population Division, Eurostat,, published as GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
GDP per person employed is gross domestic product (GDP) divided by total employment in the economy. Purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP is GDP converted to 2021 constant international dollars using PPP rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP that a U.S. dollar has in the United States.