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

Country comparison

South Africa vs Ethiopia

South Africa and Ethiopia side by side across 201 indicators — each row links to the full 54-country ranking, with sources and the API call behind every figure.

GDP$479.96B vs $121.53BSouth Africa vs Ethiopia
GDP per Capita$7,503 vs $1,081South Africa vs Ethiopia
Population64.75M vs 135.47MSouth Africa vs Ethiopia

Indicator by indicator

201 indicators

Each country shows its latest available year, which can differ by indicator. Rows where the two sides are 5+ years apart are marked ⚠ in the Period column.

Indicator South Africa EthiopiaPeriod
GDPEconomy$479.96B$121.53B2026
GDP per CapitaEconomy$7,503$1,0812026
Inflation RateEconomy5%11.8%2026-07
Central Bank Policy RateEconomy7%—2026-07-01
Official Exchange RateEconomy16.37 LCU/USD159.19 LCU/USD2026-07
Budget BalanceEconomy-4.9%-1.8%2026
Unemployment RateEconomy32.4%3.3%2025
Public DebtEconomy78.9%40.4%2026
Trade BalanceEconomy$8.16B$-8.71B2025
GDP GrowthEconomy1%9.2%2026
GNI per CapitaEconomy$6,270$1,1102025
GNI per Capita (PPP)Economy$15,600$3,6202025
GDP (PPP)Economy$1.03T$490.64B2025
Agriculture (% of GDP)Economy2.8%32.8%2025
Industry (% of GDP)Economy24.1%27.8%2025
Manufacturing (% of GDP)Economy12.3%4.2%2025
Services (% of GDP)Economy63.1%36.6%2025
Investment (% of GDP)Economy13.9%20.1%2025
Remittances ReceivedEconomy$1B$7.14B2025/2024
Remittances (% of GDP)Economy0.2%4.8%2025/2024
External Debt (% of GNI)Economy44.8%24.3%2024/2022
Foreign ReservesEconomy$76.02B$3.78B2025/2024
Credit to Private Sector (% of GDP)Economy89.4%17.7%2024/2008 ⚠
Tax Revenue (% of GDP)Economy25.9%3.4%2024
Labor Force ParticipationEconomy55.6%68.5%2025
Female Labor Force ParticipationEconomy49.9%58.5%2025
Income Inequality (Gini)Economy54.131.12022/2021
Extreme Poverty RateEconomy17.4%38.6%2022/2021
Account OwnershipEconomy81.1%48.8%2024
Youth NEET RateEconomy34.6%17.5%2024/2021
Military Spending (% of GDP)Economy0.7%0.7%2024
Trade Openness (% of GDP)Economy60.9%33.5%2025
Inflation (GDP Deflator)Economy2.8%16.7%2025
Tourism ReceiptsEconomy$2.72B$2.28B2020
Tourist ArrivalsEconomy3.89M518K2020
Current Account BalanceEconomy-0.9%-2.4%2026
Foreign Direct InvestmentEconomy$2.47B$3.98B2024
FDI (% of GDP)Economy0.6%2.8%2024
Government Revenue (% of GDP)Economy27.2%7.5%2024
Government Spending (% of GDP)Economy33%9.5%2024
Youth Unemployment RateEconomy60.1%6.4%2024/2021
Productive Capacity IndexEconomy51.727.72024
Natural Resource RentsEconomy7.3%5.9%2021
Oil Rents (% of GDP)Economy0.4%0%2021
Mineral Rents (% of GDP)Economy3.8%0.3%2021
Natural Gas Rents (% of GDP)Economy0%0%2021
Foreign Aid (% of GNI)Economy0.4%4%2023
Foreign Aid per CapitaEconomy$24$422023
Lending Interest RateEconomy10.7%8%2025/2008 ⚠
Real Interest RateEconomy7.7%-17.1%2025/2008 ⚠
Gross Savings (% of GDP)Economy12.9%19.7%2025/2024
Adjusted Net Income per CapitaEconomy$5,521$7872021
Employment in AgricultureEconomy5.4%60.1%2025
Employment in IndustryEconomy20.8%6.4%2025
Employment in ServicesEconomy73.8%33.4%2025
Vulnerable EmploymentEconomy11.7%84.1%2025
Household Consumption (% of GDP)Economy65.8%80.9%2025
Income Share of Poorest 20%Economy3.7%8.3%2022/2021
Bank Branches per 100,000Economy814.32024/2023
ATMs per 100,000Economy4610.12024/2023
GDP per Capita GrowthEconomy-0%7%2025
Debt Service (% of GNI)Economy5.7%0.9%2024
Poverty Rate ($3.65/day)Economy30.2%63.7%2022/2021
Poverty Rate ($6.85/day)Economy59.6%93.5%2022/2021
Exports of Goods & ServicesTrade$134.18B$16.79B2025
Imports of Goods & ServicesTrade$126.02B$25.49B2025
Export Diversification IndexTrade0.5530.7952024
Export Concentration IndexTrade0.1450.3822024
Liner Shipping ConnectivityTrade39.1—2021
Fuel Exports (% of Exports)Trade8.2%0%2025/2023
Manufactures Exports (% of Exports)Trade38.3%9.2%2025/2023
Food Exports (% of Exports)Trade12.8%80.4%2025/2023
High-Tech Exports (% of Manufactured)Trade5.7%3.8%2024/2023
Exports (% of GDP)Trade31.4%13.3%2025
Imports (% of GDP)Trade29.5%20.2%2025
Human Development IndexDevelopment0.7410.4972023
Gender Inequality IndexDevelopment0.3880.4972023
Inequality-adjusted HDIDevelopment0.4760.3262023
PopulationDemographics64.75M135.47M2025
Population GrowthDemographics1.1%2.6%2025
Life ExpectancyDemographics66.3 years67.6 years2024
Median AgeDemographics28.9 years19.3 years2026
Fertility RateDemographics2.213.912024
Rural PopulationDemographics36.2%75.9%2025
Population Under 15Demographics25.7%38.8%2025
Urban PopulationDemographics63.8%24.1%2025
Population DensityDemographics53.6/km²138.9/km²2026
Birth RateDemographics17.830.32026
Death RateDemographics9.315.732026
Net Migration RateDemographics2.010.22026
Life Expectancy (Female)Demographics69.8 years71 years2024
Life Expectancy (Male)Demographics62.8 years64.4 years2024
Urban Population GrowthDemographics1.3%4.6%2025
Infant MortalityHealth24.234.52024
HIV PrevalenceHealth17.2%0.7%2024
Health Spending (% of GDP)Health8.9%2.8%2023
Physicians per 1,000Health0.790.142022/2023
UHC Service Coverage IndexHealth74332023
Road Traffic DeathsHealth24.517.72021
Premature NCD MortalityHealth22.7%16.8%2021
Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingHealth6.7%46.3%2023
Safely Managed SanitationHealth73.8%8.1%2024
Maternal MortalityHealth117.6194.92023
Under-Five MortalityHealth34.746.52023
Neonatal MortalityHealth11.727.42023
Tuberculosis IncidenceHealth3891412024
Measles ImmunizationHealth66%77%2025
DTP3 ImmunizationHealth65%81%2025
Basic Drinking WaterHealth22.2%42%2024
Basic SanitationHealth3.6%2.3%2024
Diabetes PrevalenceHealth7.2%4.4%2024
Hospital Beds per 1,000Health2.250.332010/2016 ⚠
Contraceptive PrevalenceHealth54.6%36.1%2016/2021 ⚠
Skilled Birth AttendanceHealth96.7%49.8%2016/2019
Nurses & Midwives per 1,000Health6.391.222022
Adolescent Fertility RateHealth51.868.22024
Health Spending per CapitaHealth$537$352023
NCD Share of DeathsHealth37.2%38.3%2021
Smoking PrevalenceHealth23.7%5.2%2024
Antenatal Care CoverageHealth93.7%73.6%2016/2019
Child StuntingChild Welfare24.4%35.5%2024
Child WastingChild Welfare3.6%6.8%2017/2019
Birth RegistrationChild Welfare88.6%2.7%2017/2016
Child MarriageChild Welfare3.6%40.3%2016
Overweight ChildrenChild Welfare11.8%2.3%2017/2019
Education Spending (% of GDP)Education6%2.3%2024
Tertiary EnrollmentEducation23.5%5.9%2023/2014 ⚠
Adult Literacy RateEducation91.2%60.5%2024/2022
Youth Literacy RateEducation97.2%84.7%2024/2022
Primary Completion RateEducation97.6%54.4%2024/2022
Lower Secondary CompletionEducation92.5%30.4%2024/2022
Primary Net EnrollmentEducation93.9%77.5%2023/2024
Lower Secondary EnrollmentEducation90.4%45.2%2023/2024
Upper Secondary EnrollmentEducation86.9%26.7%2023/2024
Upper Secondary CompletionEducation62.2%17.6%2024/2022
Qualified Primary TeachersEducation77.9%95%2002/2014 ⚠
Secondary EnrollmentEducation104.1%33.9%2023/2015 ⚠
UndernourishmentFood Security10%19.7%2023
Acute Food InsecurityFood Security—8.5M2026-01
Agricultural Land (% of Land)Agriculture79.4%34.1%2023
Food Production IndexAgriculture113.2116.32022
Coffee ProductionAgriculture—575.7K t2024
Sorghum ProductionAgriculture98K t4.1M t2024
Millet ProductionAgriculture6.33K t1.13M t2024
Maize ProductionAgriculture12.85M t11.7M t2024
Rice ProductionAgriculture3.08K t282.72K t2024
Wheat ProductionAgriculture1.92M t6.19M t2024
Maize YieldAgriculture4,874 kg/ha3,444 kg/ha2024
Rice YieldAgriculture2,912 kg/ha2,994 kg/ha2024
Wheat YieldAgriculture3,809 kg/ha2,904 kg/ha2024
Cattle StockAgriculture12.1M head71.9M head2024
Homicide RateGovernance43.78.52022/2012 ⚠
Corruption Perceptions IndexGovernance41372024
Electoral Democracy IndexGovernance0.7430.2572025
Liberal Democracy IndexGovernance0.6330.12025
Political Corruption IndexGovernance0.5380.5292025
Control of CorruptionGovernance-0.19-0.442024
Government EffectivenessGovernance-0.23-0.652024
Rule of LawGovernance0.02-1.052024
Political StabilityGovernance-0.62-1.882024
Regulatory QualityGovernance-0.06-0.832024
Voice and AccountabilityGovernance0.61-1.242024
Refugees HostedHumanitarian55.18K1.01M2025
Internally Displaced PeopleHumanitarian02.38M2025
Asylum Seekers HostedHumanitarian82.36K112.99K2025
Stateless PeopleHumanitarian002025
Internet UsersTechnology78.4%21.9%2024
Mobile SubscriptionsTechnology179.365.12024
4G CoverageTechnology99.4%44%2024
Fixed Broadband SubscriptionsTechnology5.30.62024
Mobile Data PriceTechnology1.3%4.8%2025
3G CoverageTechnology99.9%98.8%2024
Fixed Broadband PriceTechnology3.4%12.4%2025
Mobile Bundle PriceTechnology1.1%1.7%2025
R&D Spending (% of GDP)Technology0.6%0.3%2022/2017 ⚠
Electricity AccessInfrastructure90.2%56.6%2024
Air Transport PassengersInfrastructure15.45M15.27M2023
Slum PopulationInfrastructure24.2%64.3%2022
Renewable Energy CapacityEnergy16.6K MW10.1K MW2025
Solar CapacityEnergy11.3K MW21.6 MW2025
Wind CapacityEnergy4.3K MW504 MW2025
Hydropower CapacityEnergy751.7 MW9.2K MW2025
Renewable Energy ShareEnergy9.7%90.6%2021
Clean Cooking AccessEnergy89.8%7.1%2023
Electricity Consumption per CapitaEnergy3,247 kWh113 kWh2023
Power Transmission LossesEnergy10.2%20.7%2023
Off-grid Renewable CapacityEnergy14.1 MW22.8 MW2025
Rural Electricity AccessEnergy86.3%44.8%2024
Solar Share of ElectricityEnergy8%0.1%2025
Wind Share of ElectricityEnergy4.7%3.3%2025
Hydropower Share of ElectricityEnergy0.8%96.5%2025
Fossil Share of ElectricityEnergy82.2%0%2025
Electricity DemandEnergy237 TWh31 TWh2025
Electricity Carbon IntensityEnergy699 gCO₂/kWh23 gCO₂/kWh2025
Primary Energy per CapitaEnergy21,287 kWh693 kWh2024/2023
CO2 Emissions per CapitaClimate6.88 t0.15 t2024
Renewable Electricity OutputClimate6.4%95.4%2021/2020
Forest AreaClimate14%14.9%2023
Protected AreasClimate12.9%17%2025
Freshwater WithdrawalsClimate47.1%8.6%2022
PM2.5 Air PollutionClimate27.7 µg/m³23.8 µg/m³2023

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=ZA,ET" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"
South Africa profileEthiopia profileGet a free API key

Frequently asked questions

Does South Africa or Ethiopia have the larger economy?

South Africa has the larger economy: $479.96B for South Africa versus $121.53B for Ethiopia (GDP, current US$).

How do South Africa and Ethiopia compare across indicators?

This page compares South Africa and Ethiopia on 201 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=ZA,ET with a free Africa API key to get both countries' latest values as JSON.

More comparisons

South Africa vs BotswanaSouth Africa vs EswatiniSouth Africa vs LesothoEthiopia vs BurundiEthiopia vs ComorosEthiopia vs Djibouti