Australia vs South Africa
Australia vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 51.9% of GDP in Australia in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 25 percentage points, or 1.49 times that in Australia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Australia at 54.3% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Australia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51.9 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 50.9 | 76 |
| 2023 | 49.4 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 50 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 55.4 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 56.9 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 46.5 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 41.6 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 41 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 40.5 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 37.6 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 33.9 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 30.3 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 27.4 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 24 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 20.3 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 16.6 | 27 |
| 2008 | 11.7 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 9.6 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 9.9 | 28 |
| 2005 | 10.8 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 11.9 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 13.2 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 15 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 17.1 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 19.5 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 22.5 | – |
| 1998 | 23.7 | – |
| 1997 | 25.9 | – |
| 1996 | 29.3 | – |
| 1995 | 31.1 | – |
| 1994 | 31.7 | – |
| 1993 | 30.6 | – |
| 1992 | 27.6 | – |
| 1991 | 21.6 | – |
| 1990 | 16.4 | – |
| 1989 | 17 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Australia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52.6 | 78 |
| 2027 | 53.2 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 53.7 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 54.1 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 54.3 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 54.3 | 79.8 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAustralia: 4.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025