Top 20 Richest Countries in Africa by GDP Per Capita

Nov 26, 2025 0

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita shows a country's GDP divided by its total population. It is the best measurement of a country’s standard of living. GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population, meaning that some of the largest economies are not ranked within the leading ten.

Seychelles had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa as of 2024.

Here are the top 20 richest countries in Africa based on GDP per capita:

Seychelles: With a population of less than 100,000, it has the tiniest population of any country in Africa. It ranks as the richest country in Africa, with a reported per capita GDP of $21,880.
Mauritius: Mauritius is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off of the southeast coast of the African continent. throughout its history, the country has been at times a Dutch colony, a French colony, and a British colony. It has been independent since 1968 and has a population of around 1.5 million. dollars, and ranked as the second-highest on the continent.
Gabon: A Central African country, Gabon is located on the west African coast and is bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo. Libreville is the capital and biggest city of the country.
Botswana: Botswana is located in southern Africa. The country is known for its reputation as a stable democracy.
Libya: Libya is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa and is the 7th largest country in the world. Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves of any country in the world. In the early 1980s, Libya was one of the wealthiest countries in the world; its GDP per capita was higher than some developed countries.
Equatorial Guinea: Equatorial Guinea is a country located in Central Africa. It is relatively small, covering only around 10,830 square miles. The population measures at around 1,222,245. It is partly this low population that helps the GDP to remain relatively high.
South Africa: South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, is bordered by Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Mozambique. The country has a mixed type of economy and has a relatively high GDP compared to other African countries.
Algeria: Algeria, the largest country in Africa, is located in the Northern part of the continent. It is the eighth richest country in Africa with a GDP per capita of $5,720. The country has a population of over 40 million.
Namibia: Namibia is located in Southern Africa. The country has a per capita GDP of $4,750, it is the ninth richest country in Africa. Mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism all play large parts in the country’s economy.
Cabo Verde: Cabo Verde, also called Cape Verde, country comprising a group of islands that lie off the west coast of Africa. Since the early 1990s, Cape Verde has been a stable representative democracy, and has remained one of the most developed and democratic countries in Africa. The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP.
Tunisia: Tunisia is a North African country bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert. The country has a per capita GDP of $4,440.
Eswatini: Eswatini is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Eswatini’s economy is diverse, with agriculture, forestry and mining accounting for about 13% of GDP, manufacturing (textiles and sugar-related processing) representing 37% of GDP and services - with government services in the lead - constituting 50% of GDP.
Djibouti: Djibouti, is a mostly French and Arabic speaking country located in the Horn of Africa. Djibouti’s economy is largely concentrated in the service sector. Commercial activities revolve around the country’s free trade policies and strategic location as a Red Sea transit point.
Morocco: Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the northwestern most country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
Egypt: Egypt is a transcontinental country with territories stretching from Africa’s northeast corner to Asia’s southwest corner across the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt shares its borders with the Gaza Strip and Israel, the Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, Sudan, and Libya. Cairo is the capital of the country. The economy of Egypt depends on agriculture, tourism, natural gas, and petroleum imports, as well as revenues from the Suez Canal. A large number of Egyptians also work abroad.
Sao Tome and Principe: Sao Tome and Principe is acountry in central Africa, located on the Equator in the Gulf of Guinea. The country’s economy has historically been dependent on agriculture, and much of the total agricultural area of the two islands belongs to the state.
Cote d’Ivoire: Cote d’Ivoire is the largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union, constituting over 40% of the monetary union’s total GDP. The country is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans, and the fourth-largest exporter of goods in sub-Saharan Africa.
Republic of the Congo: The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, has a GDP per capita of $2.460. It is rich in oil, which dominates its economy, along with timber and mining. The country faces challenges such as political instability, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a reliance on fluctuating oil prices.
Angola: Angola, one of Africa’s largest oil producers, has a GDP per capita of $2,430. Its economy is highly dependent on oil exports, which make up a significant portion of government revenues. Despite vast natural resources, Angola has faced economic challenges, including the need to rebuild after decades of civil war, corruption, and inequality.
Mauritania: Mauritania, located in West Africa, has a GDP per capita of $2,350. The country’s economy is primarily driven by its natural resources, including iron ore, petroleum, and fishing. However, despite its rich resource base, Mauritania faces significant challenges in terms of poverty and infrastructure development.

Africa GDP Ranking (1960–2025) | Richest African Countries Over Time

These African economies are among some of the fastest-growing economies worldwide.

GDP per capita of every African country in 2024

Read also: Top African economies

Dependency on Oil

For some African countries, the oil industry represents an enormous source of income. In Nigeria, oil generates over five percent of the country’s GDP in the third quarter of 2023. However, economies such as the Libyan, Algerian, or Angolan are even much more dependent on the oil sector. In Libya, for instance, oil rents account for over 40 percent of the GDP. Indeed, Libya is one of the economies most dependent on oil worldwide. Similarly, oil represents for some of Africa’s largest economies a substantial source of export value.

Impact of COVID-19 on North Africa’s GDP

When looking at the GDP growth rate in Africa in 2024, Libya had the largest estimated growth in Northern Africa, a value of 7.8 percent compared to the previous year. Niger and Senegal were at the top of the list with rates of 10.4 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the economy was severe. The growth of the North African real GDP was estimated at minus 1.1 percent in 2020. However, estimations for 2022 looked much brighter, as it was set that the region would see a GDP growth of six percent, compared to four percent in 2021.

Contribution of Tourism

Various countries in Africa are dependent on tourism, contributing to the economy. dollars, a clear increase from 96.5 in 2020 following COVID-19.

The Giants Do Not Make the Ranking

Most of Africa’s largest economies do not appear in the leading ten African countries for GDP per capita. The GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population. Therefore, a populated country with a low total GDP will have a low GDP per capita, while a small rich nation has a high GDP per capita. For instance, South Africa has Africa’s highest GDP, but also counts the sixth-largest population, so wealth has to be divided into its big population. The GDP per capita also indicates how a country’s wealth reaches each of its citizens.

Read also: Morocco's Wealthiest City