South Africa vs Egypt, Arab Rep.
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
South Africa and Egypt are Africa's second and third largest economies (after Nigeria), representing the continent's southern and northern economic anchors. South Africa has a more developed financial sector, the continent's only truly modern stock exchange (JSE), and a strong mining industry (gold, platinum, diamonds). Egypt's economy benefits from the Suez Canal, tourism, and remittances from millions of Egyptians working in the Gulf. Both countries face high unemployment and political challenges. South Africa's GDP per capita is higher, but load-shedding (power outages) has severely constrained its economic growth.
South Africa has a GDP of $479.96B compared to Egypt, Arab Rep.'s $429.64B, making it 1.1x larger. South Africa's population is 64.7M vs Egypt, Arab Rep.'s 118.4M. Across 12 key indicators, Egypt, Arab Rep. leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  South Africa |  Egypt, Arab Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $479.96B✓ | $429.64B |
| GDP per Capita | $7,503✓ | $3,904 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 1.0% | 4.2%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $16,740 | $23,321✓ |
| Population | 64.7M | 118.4M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 66.3 years | 71.8 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 3.9%✓ | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (%) | 32.5% | 7.4%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 78.9%✓ | 87.0% |
| Fertility Rate | 2.2 | 2.7✓ |
| Gini Index | 54.1 | 28.5✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 6.9 | 2.5✓ |
Summary
South Africa has a GDP of $479.96B compared to Egypt, Arab Rep.'s $429.64B, making the former economy 1.1x larger. In terms of population, South Africa has 64.7M people while Egypt, Arab Rep. has 118.4M. Across the 12 indicators compared, South Africa leads in 4 and Egypt, Arab Rep. leads in 8.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | South Africa | Egypt, Arab Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $479.96B2026 | $429.64B2026 |
| World Bank | $427.18B2025 | $365.25B2025 |
| United Nations | $401.15B2024 | $306.91B2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. South Africa spans about 20% across 2 years; Egypt, Arab Rep. spans about 40% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well.
| Source | South Africa | Egypt, Arab Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $7,5032026 | $3,9042026 |
| World Bank | $6,5982025 | $3,0862025 |
| United Nations | $6,2672024 | $2,6342024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. South Africa spans about 20% across 2 years; Egypt, Arab Rep. spans about 48% across 2 years, wide enough that a rebasing or currency revaluation is likely involved as well.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
South AfricaEgypt, Arab Rep.