Ethiopia vs South Africa
Ethiopia vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation: 26.6% a year in Ethiopia in 2024 and 3.2% a year in South Africa in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 22.1 percentage points, or 6 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ethiopia has been higher since 2011, when it overtook South Africa.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ethiopia at 6.7% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Ethiopia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 26.6 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 32.5 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 33.9 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 20.2 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 19.9 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 12.6 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 14.5 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 6.9 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 9.7 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 7.7 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 8.1 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 13.5 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 34.1 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 18.1 | 5 |
| 2010 | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 36.4 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 25.3 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 15.8 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 12.3 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 6.8 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 8.6 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 15.1 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | -7.2 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | -5.2 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 6.2 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 4.8 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 3.6 | 7 |
| 1997 | -6.4 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 0.9 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 13.4 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 1.2 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 10 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 21 | 14 |
| 1991 | 20.9 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 5.2 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 9.6 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 2.2 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | -9.1 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | 5.6 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 18.4 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | -0.3 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 3.6 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 7.8 | 14 |
| 1981 | – | 15.9 |
| 1980 | – | 14.2 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ethiopia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11.7 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 12.3 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 9.2 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 7.8 | 3 |
| 2030 | 6.8 | 3 |
| 2031 | 6.7 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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
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