Egypt vs South Africa
Egypt vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 90.9% of GDP in Egypt and 76% of GDP in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Egypt, by 15 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Egypt has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Egypt at 71.5% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Egypt | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 90.9 | 76 |
| 2023 | 95.9 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 88.5 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 89.9 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 86.2 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 80.1 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 88 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 97.8 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 91.6 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 83.8 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 80.9 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 79.8 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 69.9 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 72.8 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 69.6 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 69.5 | 27 |
| 2008 | 66.8 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 76.3 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 85.9 | 28 |
| 2005 | 98.3 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 96.5 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 97.1 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 85.8 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 79.2 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 71.7 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 72.4 | – |
| 1998 | 73.8 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Egypt | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 86.8 | 78.4 |
| 2026 | 84 | 78 |
| 2027 | 82.9 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 81.4 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 78 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 75 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 71.5 | 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Egypt vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyEgypt: 71.6 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEgypt: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEgypt: 14.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEgypt: 3.24% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateEgypt: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEgypt: 115 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthEgypt: 1.82% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEgypt: 2.75 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEgypt: 42.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageEgypt: 24 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEgypt: 5% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateEgypt: 2.7 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEgypt: 0.61% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEgypt: $2.26B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personEgypt: $21 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEgypt: 2.5% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEgypt: 836,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerEgypt: 1.18% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEgypt: 2.76% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEgypt: 697 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEgypt: 2 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025