Iran vs South Africa: Productivity: output per hour worked

Iran
22.04 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
in 2023
South Africa
19.42 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
in 2023
Iran rank
71st
South Africa rank
74th

Productivity: output per hour worked over time

  • Iran
  • South Africa
0102030200120122023

How they compare

Iran currently reports 22.04 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour against 19.42 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in South Africa, a difference of 2.62 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour.

That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Iran ahead.

Iran ranks 71st and South Africa ranks 74th of 130 countries.

Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 25.61 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 21.34 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 4.27 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour Iran
2010s 27.04 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 22.34 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 4.7 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour Iran
2020s 23.57 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 20.85 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 2.72 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour Iran

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher productivity: output per hour worked, Iran or South Africa?
Iran, at 22.04 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour against 19.42 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in productivity: output per hour worked between Iran and South Africa?
2.62 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, with Iran ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and South Africa?
18 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2023.
How do Iran and South Africa rank globally for productivity: output per hour worked?
Iran ranks 71st and South Africa ranks 74th of 130 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Productivity: output per hour worked. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iran vs South Africa: Productivity: output per hour worked. Statizoid, drawing on Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/labor-productivity-per-hour-pennworldtable/iran-islamic-rep/south-africa/

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<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/labor-productivity-per-hour-pennworldtable/iran-islamic-rep/south-africa/">Iran vs South Africa: Productivity: output per hour worked</a> β€” Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Productivity: output per hour worked
Unit
international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
Source
Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
130 places, 4,965 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Productivity is calculated as GDP divided by the total number of hours worked in the economy. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.