Benin vs South Africa
Benin vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 59.3% of GDP in Benin in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 15.4 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in Benin.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2001, when it overtook Benin.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Benin at 50.3% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Benin | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.3 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 60.5 | 76 |
| 2023 | 61.3 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 59.7 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 55.6 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 46.1 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 40.4 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 40.8 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 39.4 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 35.9 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 30.9 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 22.3 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 18.5 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 19.5 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 21.9 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 21 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 18.8 | 27 |
| 2008 | 18.3 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 14.3 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 8.4 | 28 |
| 2005 | 27 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 21.5 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 23.4 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 30.8 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 38 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 39.6 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 39.4 | – |
| 1998 | 53.6 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Benin | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58.1 | 78 |
| 2027 | 56.5 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 54.7 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 53.1 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 51.7 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 50.3 | 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
Benin vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBenin: 60.8 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBenin: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBenin: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBenin: 3.63% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBenin: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBenin: 14.1 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBenin: 2.51% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBenin: 4.56 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBenin: 53.4% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBenin: 17.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBenin: 3.1% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBenin: -0 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBenin: 0.89% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBenin: $204M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBenin: $15 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBenin: 4.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBenin: 12,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBenin: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBenin: 0.21% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBenin: 4 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025