Eswatini vs South Africa
Eswatini vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 44.8% of GDP in Eswatini in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 35.9 percentage points, or 1.9 times that in Eswatini.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Eswatini at 48% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Eswatini | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44.8 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 40 | 76 |
| 2023 | 39.5 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 39.5 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 37.4 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 37.7 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 30.5 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 26.5 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 21.7 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 20.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 16 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 14.1 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 15.2 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 14.8 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 14.6 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 14.2 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 10.6 | 27 |
| 2008 | 14.6 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 16.2 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 14.7 | 28 |
| 2005 | 13.6 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 15 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 17.7 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 17.2 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 21.7 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 18.2 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 16.7 | – |
| 1998 | 15.6 | – |
| 1997 | 12.7 | – |
| 1996 | 11.5 | – |
| 1995 | 12.5 | – |
| 1994 | 13.1 | – |
| 1993 | 15 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Eswatini | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 52.5 | 78 |
| 2027 | 54.4 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 54.3 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 53.7 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 51.3 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 48 | 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
Eswatini vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyEswatini: 64.1 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEswatini: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEswatini: 37.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEswatini: 4.07% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateEswatini: 22.3 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEswatini: 1.23 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthEswatini: 0.94% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEswatini: 2.75 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEswatini: 26.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageEswatini: 22 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEswatini: 4.1% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateEswatini: -6.9 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEswatini: 1.6% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEswatini: $88.1M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personEswatini: $75 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEswatini: 5.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEswatini: 3,000 people in 1999South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerEswatini: 0.01% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEswatini: 0.98% of the labour force in 1999South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEswatini: 2 million TIV in 2020South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025