Charts / Economy
Sub-Saharan Africa's Share of Global GDP
Sub-Saharan Africa still generates under 2% of world output despite holding a growing share of its people.
Updated 2026 · Data year 2024
Figure 1
Sub-Saharan Africa still generates under 2% of world output despite holding a growing share of its people.
1.78%
2024 · %
Source: World Bank · 2024 · Current US$. Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regional aggregate) GDP as a share of world GDP.
Sub-Saharan Africa's share of global GDP was 2.61% in 1980 and 1.78% in 2024. It slid to a low of 1.26% around 2000 before the 2000s commodity boom lifted it back above 2%.
Takeaways
- The region produced about $2.0 trillion of a $111.7 trillion world economy in 2024 (1.78%).
- Its share peaked near 2.23% in 2015 before currency depreciation and slower growth eroded it.
- The 1980 share of 2.61% was higher than the 2024 share, despite nominal GDP rising nearly sevenfold.
- The early-2000s trough of about 1.26% (2000) marked the low point of the series.
Sources
- TIER A World Bank, GDP (current US$) - Sub-Saharan Africa, World (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD) (2025). https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/SSF;WLD/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?format=json&date=1980:2024&per_page=500
World Development Indicators, current US$; IMF WEO regional aggregate not reachable via proxy.