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Indicators · Growth and investment

Real GDP growth

Yearly change in GDP after removing inflation.

Why it matters

Growth expands the market an investment sells into and eases debt burdens. Sustained growth above population growth means rising incomes.

Read with care

Single years swing with droughts, commodity prices and mining output. Look at the three-year average.

Source

World Bank

% a year. 54 African countries, 1990 to 2025.

GDP growth: highest in Zimbabwe, lowest in Botswana

Real GDP growth, % a year. Latest year available, 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

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Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: GDP growthiWhy it mattersGrowth expands the market an investment sells into and eases debt burdens. Sustained growth above population growth means rising incomes.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%2%4%6%8%Zimbabwe8.1%Tanzania5.9%Seychelles5.8%DRC5.8%Eswatini4.2%Zambia3.8%Comoros3.8%Mauritius3.2%Angola3.1%Madagascar3.0%Lesotho2.0%Malawi1.9%Namibia1.7%South Africa1.1%Mozambique-0.5%Botswana-0.7%median 3.1%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 3.1%Lowest: Botswana -0.7%Highest: Zimbabwe 8.1%

Over time

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Real GDP growth against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%2.0%4.0%6.0%8.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)GDP growthDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiZambia
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Zimbabwe8.1%2025up 15.9 points since 2020A
2Tanzania5.9%2025up 3.9 points since 2020A
3Seychelles5.8%2025up 17.5 points since 2020A
4DRC5.8%2025up 5.0 points since 2020A
5Eswatini4.2%2025up 7.1 points since 2020A
6Zambia3.8%2025up 6.5 points since 2020A
7Comoros3.8%2025up 3.9 points since 2020A
8Mauritius3.2%2025up 17.3 points since 2020A
9Angola3.1%2025up 8.4 points since 2020A
10Madagascar3.0%2025up 10.1 points since 2020A
11Lesotho2.0%2025up 10.1 points since 2020A
12Malawi1.9%2025up 1.1 point since 2020A
13Namibia1.7%2025up 9.8 points since 2020A
14South Africa1.1%2025up 7.3 points since 2020A
15Mozambique-0.5%2025up 0.7 points since 2020A
16Botswana-0.7%2025up 8.0 points since 2020A