The IMF World Economic Outlook October 2026 forecasts the eight East African Community members together generate a nominal GDP of $490.9 billion, compared with Nigeria’s $386.7 billion, a gap of $104.3 billion.

If treated as a single country, the bloc would edge South Africa’s $489.1 billion economy by $1.9 billion, making it Africa’s largest economy by a very narrow margin.

Four economies – Kenya, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda – account for exactly 90 percent of the bloc’s total, contributing $441.9 billion and still exceeding Nigeria by $55.2 billion on their own.

Kenya leads the EAC with a GDP of $151.2 billion, representing 30.8 percent of the bloc’s output and 39.1 percent of Nigeria’s economy.

Despite the larger combined size, the bloc’s per‑capita GDP is about $1,420, lower than Nigeria’s $1,594, because the EAC’s population of roughly 345.8 million exceeds Nigeria’s 242.6 million.

No single East African country matches Nigeria’s economy; Kenya, the biggest, is less than 40 percent of Nigeria’s total GDP.

The IMF notes these figures are projections and subject to revision; while the $104.3 billion lead over Nigeria is robust, the $1.9 billion edge over South Africa is thin enough to be viewed as a statistical tie.