Burundi vs South Africa
Burundi vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 42% of GDP in Burundi in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 22.1 percentage points, or 1.41 times that in Burundi.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Burundi.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Burundi at 37.5% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Burundi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 53.8 | 76 |
| 2023 | 60.4 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 68.5 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 66.4 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 65.9 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 60.1 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 53 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 46.9 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 46.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 39.9 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 37.9 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 37.9 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 41.4 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 42.7 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 46.9 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 25.7 | 27 |
| 2008 | 102.5 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 129.6 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 130.3 | 28 |
| 2005 | 137 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 166.1 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 159.9 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 144.8 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 113.6 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 120 | 37.9 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Burundi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40.4 | 78 |
| 2027 | 41.1 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 39.1 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 37.6 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 37.9 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 37.5 | 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
Burundi vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBurundi: 63.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurundi: 4.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurundi: 35.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurundi: 3.72% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurundi: 12.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurundi: 13.7 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurundi: 2.71% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurundi: 4.88 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurundi: 25.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBurundi: 15.9 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurundi: 2.5% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurundi: 0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurundi: 3.24% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurundi: $169M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBurundi: $16 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurundi: 14.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBurundi: 31,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBurundi: 0.06% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurundi: 0.59% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurundi: 2 million TIV in 2019South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025