Cameroon vs South Africa
Cameroon vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 40.5% of GDP in Cameroon in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 32.6 percentage points, or 1.75 times that in Cameroon.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Cameroon.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Cameroon at 34.3% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Cameroon | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40.5 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 43.4 | 76 |
| 2023 | 43.6 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 45.6 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 47.2 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 44.9 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 41.6 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 38.3 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 36.5 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 32.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 31.6 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 20.7 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 17.5 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 14.9 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 15.9 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 14 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 11.3 | 27 |
| 2008 | 11.2 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 13.8 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 18.4 | 28 |
| 2005 | 43.8 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 51.7 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 51.5 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 56.6 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 62.2 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 75.9 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 68.4 | – |
| 1998 | 67.8 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Cameroon | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 40.1 | 78 |
| 2027 | 39.1 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 38.1 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 36.8 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 35.2 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 34.3 | 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
Cameroon vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyCameroon: 63.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCameroon: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCameroon: 47.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCameroon: 3.75% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateCameroon: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCameroon: 28.4 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthCameroon: 2.64% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCameroon: 4.32 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCameroon: 55.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageCameroon: 17.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCameroon: 2.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateCameroon: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCameroon: 1.06% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCameroon: $580M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personCameroon: $21 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCameroon: 6.5% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCameroon: 34,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerCameroon: 0.16% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCameroon: 0.34% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCameroon: 2 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025