54 countries · side-by-side on every indicatorLiveGet API key

Country comparison

Nigeria vs South Africa

Nigeria and South Africa side by side across 74 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$252.26B vs $401.14BNigeria vs South Africa
GDP per Capita$1,084 vs $6,267Nigeria vs South Africa
Population232.68M vs 64.01MNigeria vs South Africa

Indicator by indicator

74 indicators
Indicator Nigeria South AfricaPeriod
GDPEconomy$252.26B$401.14B2024
GDP per CapitaEconomy$1,084$6,2672024
Inflation RateEconomy15.9%4%2026-05
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy26.5%7%2026-02-01
Official Exchange RateEconomy1,369.26 LCU/USD16.55 LCU/USD2026-05
Budget BalanceEconomy-4.4%-4.9%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy3.1%32.4%2025
Public DebtEconomy32.3%78.9%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$-322.41M$7.77B1960
GDP GrowthEconomy4.1%0.5%2024
GNI per CapitaEconomy$1,700$6,1102024
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$8,850$15,1502024
GDP (PPP)Economy$2.11T$989.31B2024
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy25.9%2.8%2024
Industry (% of GDP)Economy18.2%24.3%2024
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy8.7%12.8%2024
Services (% of GDP)Economy53.7%63%2024
Investment (% of GDP)Economy—14.1%2024
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$21.29B$855.37M2024
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy8.4%0.2%2024
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy60%44.8%2024
Foreign ReservesEconomy$40.41B$65.43B2024
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy9.6%89.4%2022
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy—25.4%2023
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy82.5%55.6%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy80.7%49.9%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy33.954.12022
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy41.8%17.4%2022
Account OwnershipEconomy63.3%81.1%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy11.9%34.6%2024
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy0.6%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy26.2%61.6%1960
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy14.1%3.9%2024
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$321M$2.72B2020
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy5.27M3.89M2016
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.560.7412023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.6770.3882023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.3790.4762023
PopulationDemographics232.68M64.01M2024
Population GrowthDemographics2.1%1.2%2024
Life ExpectancyDemographics54.6 years66.3 years2024
Median AgeDemographics18.3 years28.9 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics4.382.212024
Rural PopulationDemographics37%36.3%2024
Population Under 15Demographics41%25.9%2024
Infant MortalityHealth69.824.22024
HIV PrevalenceHealth1.2%17.2%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health4.2%8.9%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.380.792023
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth47742023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth17.224.52021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth17.7%22.7%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth70.9%6.7%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth32.2%73.8%2024
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education0.3%6%2023
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation9.7%23.5%2011
UndernourishmentFood Security19.9%10%2023
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture76.2%79.4%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture119.9113.22022
Cassava ProductionAgriculture62.62M t—2024
Coffee ProductionAgriculture1.81K t—2024
Cocoa ProductionAgriculture350K t—2024
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture6.5M t98K t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture1.55M t6.33K t2024
Homicide RateGovernance15.743.72023
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance26412024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.5050.7432025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.3110.6332025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.8340.5382025
Women in ParliamentGovernance4.2%44.7%2025
Internet UsersTechnology41.2%78.4%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology70.8179.32024
Electricity AccessInfrastructure61.2%87.7%2023
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate0.57 t6.88 t2024

Get this comparison via API

GET /v1/data

One call returns both countries' latest value for any indicator — JSON, with source metadata.

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?metric_key=gdp_current_usd&latest=true&country_codes=NG,ZA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
Nigeria profileSouth Africa profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does Nigeria or South Africa have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $252.26B for Nigeria versus $401.14B for South Africa (GDP, current US$).

How do Nigeria and South Africa compare across indicators?

This page compares Nigeria and South Africa on 74 indicators — economy, demographics, health, governance and more — each with its latest value, source, and a link to the full 54-country ranking.

How do I get this comparison via the API?

Call GET /v1/data?metric_key=<key>&latest=true&country_codes=NG,ZA with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

More comparisons

Nigeria vs BeninNigeria vs Burkina FasoNigeria vs Cabo VerdeSouth Africa vs BotswanaSouth Africa vs EswatiniSouth Africa vs Lesotho