South Africa: key statistics
Sub-Saharan Africa · Upper middle income · capital Pretoria
South Africa has a GDP of $401.1B and a GDP per capita of $6,267, with a population of about 64.0 million (World Bank, latest available year). Life expectancy is 66.3 years. Among countries with data, South Africa ranks #40 of 214 by GDP, #128 of 214 by GDP per capita, #24 of 217 by population. Full indicator table, peer countries and head-to-head comparisons are below.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Data as of June 2026.
South Africa at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) | $401.1B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | $6,267 | 2024 |
| Population, total | 64,007,187 | 2024 |
| Population growth (annual %) | 1.2% | 2024 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 0.5% | 2024 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 4.4% | 2024 |
| Unemployment, total (% of labour force, modelled ILO) | 32.4% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 66.3 | 2024 |
| Individuals using the Internet (% of population) | 78.4% | 2024 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 63.7% | 2024 |
| CO2 emissions per capita (tonnes) | 6.88 | 2024 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). Data as of June 2026.
Each value is the most-recent year the World Bank reports for South Africa (the year column), so figures are not all from the same year. A dash (—) means no value is reported.
How South Africa ranks
- GDP: #40 of 214 ($401.1B)
- GDP per capita: #128 of 214 ($6,267)
- Population: #24 of 217 (64.0 million)
- Life expectancy: #183 of 217 (66.3 years)
South Africa vs its peers
The 6 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the closest GDP per capita to South Africa:
| Country | GDP per capita | Population | Life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa (this country) | $6,267 | 64.0 million | 66.3 |
| Equatorial Guinea | $6,745 | 1.9 million | 63.9 |
| Cabo Verde | $5,192 | 524,877 | 76.2 |
| Botswana | $7,696 | 2.5 million | 69.3 |
| Namibia | $4,413 | 3.0 million | 67.5 |
| Gabon | $8,230 | 2.5 million | 68.5 |
| Eswatini | $3,910 | 1.2 million | 64.3 |
See every country in this region on the Sub-Saharan Africa hub.
Compare South Africa head to head
Frequently asked questions
What is the GDP of South Africa?
South Africa's GDP is $401.1B (2024) in current US dollars (World Bank). GDP per capita is $6,267 (2024). That ranks South Africa #40 of 214 economies with reported GDP.
What is the population of South Africa?
South Africa has a population of about 64.0 million (2024), per World Bank data. It is the #24 most populous of 217 countries.
What region and income group is South Africa in?
The World Bank places South Africa in the Sub-Saharan Africa region and classifies it as a upper middle income economy. Its capital is Pretoria.
How long do people live in South Africa?
Life expectancy at birth in South Africa is 66.3 years (2024, World Bank). That ranks #183 of 217.
Sources & notes
Data: World Bank Open Data, Indicators API (CC BY 4.0), retrieved June 2026. Values are each indicator's most-recent non-empty year for South Africa, so the reference year varies by indicator (shown in the table). Figures are nominal (current US$) unless noted; see our methodology. Browse all 217 countries.
Last updated: 2026-06-20