Colombia vs South Africa
Colombia vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 59.9% of GDP in Colombia in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 14.9 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in Colombia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2019, when it overtook Colombia.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Colombia at 65.3% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Colombia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.9 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 61 | 76 |
| 2023 | 55.4 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 61.3 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 64.4 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 65.3 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 51 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 51.8 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 49.5 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 49.9 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 50.4 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 43.3 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 37.6 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 34 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 35.8 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 36.5 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 35.4 | 27 |
| 2008 | 32.4 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 32.7 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 36 | 28 |
| 2005 | 38.5 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 41.5 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 45 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 47.6 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 41.1 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 38 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 34 | – |
| 1998 | 27.5 | – |
| 1997 | 25.3 | – |
| 1996 | 23.3 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Colombia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59.5 | 78 |
| 2027 | 62.9 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 65.1 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 65.9 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 65.7 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 65.3 | 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
Colombia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationColombia: 78.8% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelColombia: 428,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersColombia: 1.7% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025