While countries like the United States boast a robust and diversified GDP, ranking highest globally due to its established position as a world leader, others struggle to keep pace, with some merely achieving a modest economic footing.
America’s $29 trillion economy may pass for the economy of several African countries and when the GDP of the states in the US are analyzed, some equal the GDP of some African countries showing the unequal distribution of economic gains across the world.
Africa’s combined GDP, valued at about $3 trillion, pales in comparison to America’s formidable GDP, making it unsurprising that the economic output of a single US state can rival that of multiple African countries.
It is important to note that no African country is on the list of the top 40 largest economies in the world, and only two economies, South Africa and Nigeria are within the top 50 world GDP rankings.
One other issue is population, although African countries post low GDPs when compared to the US states, one thing that should be taken into consideration is the vast population which affects the GDP per capita.
Ghana’s GDP which stands at $67 billion can be compared to the state of Oregon with GDP – $69 billion. However, Ghana’s population is 31 million, while Oregon has a population of around 4.3 million highlighting a significant disparity in economic output per capita between the two locations.
The table below shows how the GDPs of 10 African countries measure up to that of a US state, New York.
| S/N | Country | GDP |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
South Africa |
403,050,000,000.00 |
|
2 |
Egypt |
380,410,000,000.00 |
|
3 |
Algeria |
260,130,000,000.00 |
|
4 |
Ethiopia |
145,030,000,000.00 |
|
5 |
Nigeria |
199,720,000,000.00 |
|
6 |
Morocco |
157,090,000,000.00 |
|
7 |
Kenya |
116,320,000,000.00 |
|
8 |
Angola |
113,290,000,000.00 |
|
9 |
Côte d’Ivoire |
86,990,000,000.00 |
|
10 |
Tanzania |
97,870,000,000.00 |
| Total | 1,846,610,000,000.00 | |
| New York | 2,200,000,000,000.00 | |
The combined GDPs of Africa’s top 10 countries currently stand at about $1.8 trillion while the GDP of New York stands at $2.2 trillion.
The economic disparity between African countries and US states is not unique to the continent.
Interestingly, other ‘big’ economies like Spain, India, and Saudi Arabia have similar GDP statistics to individual US states. For instance California’s economy, valued at $3.3 trillion, is comparable to India’s entire GDP. Florida’s $1.1 trillion economy is on par with Spain’s GDP while Pennsylvania’s $976 billion GDP rivals Saudi Arabia’s economic output.
This highlights the vast differences in economic scales between countries and US states, showcasing the impressive economic might of individual states within the United States.
