Eswatini’s manufacturing value added fell to 28.1% of GDP in 2025.

Higher is better. A higher share is better because it means more of the economy rests on making goods, which tends to support steadier jobs and a broader base of skills. The latest figure, for 2025, is 28.1% of GDP, down 1.1 percentage points from 29.1% of GDP a year earlier. Since 2016 the share has ranged from a low of 26.4% of GDP in 2020 to a high of 31.1% of GDP in 2016. The current reading sits a little below the middle of that range and well short of the 2016 peak.

Why it matters. At 28.1% of GDP, manufacturing accounts for a large part of Eswatini's output and of the wages paid from it. The fall from a year earlier matters to households that rely on factory pay and to firms that supply local manufacturers. For the state, a smaller manufacturing share narrows the base for company and payroll taxes. The next annual reading will show whether the decline since 2024 continues.