Ethiopia vs South Africa
Ethiopia vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 33.5% of GDP in Ethiopia and 76% of GDP in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 42.5 percentage points, or 2.27 times that in Ethiopia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2019, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ethiopia at 27.5% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ethiopia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 33.5 | 76 |
| 2023 | 38.7 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 47 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 53.8 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 53.3 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 54.7 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 58.5 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 55.3 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 51.8 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 50.7 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 44.2 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 44.1 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 39.4 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 44.6 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 39.4 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 30 | 27 |
| 2008 | 56.1 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 55.7 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 79.6 | 28 |
| 2005 | 78.2 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 103.1 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 103.7 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 107.4 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 97.3 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 93.6 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 97.8 | – |
| 1998 | 89.3 | – |
| 1997 | 80.3 | – |
| 1996 | 132.8 | – |
| 1995 | 146.6 | – |
| 1994 | 155.2 | – |
| 1993 | 141 | – |
| 1992 | 87.9 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Ethiopia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 43.3 | 78.4 |
| 2026 | 40.7 | 78 |
| 2027 | 37 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 34.2 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 31.8 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 29.7 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 27.5 | 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
Ethiopia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025