Ethiopia achieved Africa’s fastest growth in real GDP per person over the 25 years to 2025

Key Takeaways

  • Ethiopia recorded Africa's fastest real GDP per capita growth between 2000 and 2025.
  • Rwanda ranked second, while Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Djibouti completed the top five.
  • Ethiopia's real GDP per capita rose 322%, from $910 to $3,843.
  • Mauritius recorded Africa's largest absolute gain in real GDP per capita.
  • Nigeria ranked 15th, with real GDP per capita increasing 76.7%.

Between 2000 and 2025, Ethiopia recorded the largest percentage increase in PPP-adjusted real GDP per person among 51 African countries.

It started at $910, Africa’s second-lowest level in 2000, and reached $3,843 by 2025, ranking 29th among the 51 countries. That was a 322% increase, placing its real GDP per person at 4.2 times its starting level.

The growth was also sustained for most of the period. After declines in 2002 and 2003, Ethiopia recorded an increase every year from 2004 to 2025. Tanzania was the only country in the top ten whose real GDP per capita increased throughout the entire 25-year period. Eight of the ten countries recorded a decline in 2020.

Mauritius led on a different measure. Its real GDP per person increased from $13,422 to $28,610, adding $15,188, the largest absolute increase in Africa. It ranked eighth by percentage growth because it started from a much higher level than Ethiopia.

Nigeria ranked 15th by percentage growth. Its real GDP per capita increased by 76.7%, from $4,608 to $8,143. However, it declined for six consecutive years from 2016 to 2021 before returning to growth in 2022.

The figures are adjusted for inflation, population and differences in purchasing power, and are expressed in constant 2021 international dollars. They do not represent household income or show how evenly the gains were distributed.

The 2025 figures are IMF estimates except for Ethiopia, whose latest actual data cover FY2024/25. The estimates follow latest actual observations from 2023 or 2024.

Source:

IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026

Period:

2000-2025
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