GDP per employed person in South Africa
South Africa: GDP per employed person was 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
48,694 constant 2021 PPP $
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
82nd
of 177 countries
All-time high
54,304 constant 2021 PPP $
in 2021
All-time low
35,799 constant 2021 PPP $
in 1993
Years of data
35
1991–2025
GDP per employed person in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2021 PPP $.
Analysis
In 2025, gdp per employed person in South Africa stood at 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp per employed person in South Africa peaked at 54,304 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 35,799 constant 2021 PPP $, in 1993.
That places South Africa 82nd out of 177 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
GDP per employed person in South Africa, year by year
| Year | constant 2021 PPP $ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 37,531 constant 2021 PPP $ | — |
| 1992 | 36,246 constant 2021 PPP $ | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 35,799 constant 2021 PPP $ | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 36,188 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 36,807 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 37,813 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 38,239 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 37,768 constant 2021 PPP $ | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 38,007 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 38,858 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 39,152 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 39,834 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 40,332 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 41,409 constant 2021 PPP $ | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 42,877 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 44,537 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 46,240 constant 2021 PPP $ | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 47,128 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 47,937 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 50,971 constant 2021 PPP $ | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 51,799 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 51,827 constant 2021 PPP $ | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 51,415 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 51,148 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 49,640 constant 2021 PPP $ | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 50,336 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 50,295 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 50,034 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 50,027 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 50,732 constant 2021 PPP $ | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 54,304 constant 2021 PPP $ | +7.0% |
| 2022 | 52,340 constant 2021 PPP $ | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 49,596 constant 2021 PPP $ | -5.2% |
| 2024 | 48,752 constant 2021 PPP $ | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ | -0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 47,752 constant 2021 PPP $, 1.0× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,880 constant 2021 PPP $, 4.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37,156 constant 2021 PPP $ | 35,799 constant 2021 PPP $ | 38,239 constant 2021 PPP $ | 9 |
| 2000s | 42,830 constant 2021 PPP $ | 38,858 constant 2021 PPP $ | 47,937 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2010s | 50,749 constant 2021 PPP $ | 49,640 constant 2021 PPP $ | 51,827 constant 2021 PPP $ | 10 |
| 2020s | 50,736 constant 2021 PPP $ | 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ | 54,304 constant 2021 PPP $ | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More work & labour data for South Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.242 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2122 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8748 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 58,057 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,698 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 49,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 45,189 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 94,314 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp per employed person in South Africa?
- Gdp per employed person in South Africa was 48,694 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2025, according to World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gdp per employed person recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 54,304 constant 2021 PPP $ in 2021.
- What is the lowest gdp per employed person recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,799 constant 2021 PPP $ in 1993.
- How does South Africa rank for gdp per employed person?
- South Africa ranks 82nd out of 177 countries with data for 2025.
- Is gdp per employed person rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Division, Eurostat, and OECD (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of GDP per employed person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Gross domestic product (GDP) divided by the total number of people employed in the economy. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.