Africa’s largest economies in 2026 by GDP

Africa’s largest economies in 2026 are dominated by South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria, with Kenya ranking seventh on the continent and emerging as East Africa’s biggest economy, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

South Africa tops the ranking with a projected gross domestic product (GDP) of $489.08 billion, followed by Egypt at $442.89 billion and Nigeria at $386.67 billion, according to the IMF’s October 2026 World Economic Outlook.

Algeria ranks fourth with a projected GDP of $331.89 billion, while Morocco takes fifth place with $195.63 billion. The figures highlight the dominance of North African economies in the upper half of the ranking, with a significant gap between the top four and the countries that follow.

Angola ranks sixth with a projected GDP of $157.30 billion, narrowly ahead of Kenya, which has an estimated economic output of $151.15 billion. Kenya retains its position among Africa’s largest economies and leads the East African countries featured in the top 10.

Ghana follows in eighth place with $128.64 billion, while Ethiopia ranks ninth at approximately $127.14 billion. The two economies are closely matched, separated by about $1.5 billion in projected GDP.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo completes the top 10 with a projected GDP of $122.28 billion.

The rankings are based on nominal GDP estimates for 2026, measured in current US dollars. They indicate the overall size of each country’s economy but do not necessarily reflect citizens’ living standards, income levels or how wealth is distributed across the population.