Germany vs South Africa
Germany vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 62.7% of GDP in Germany in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 14.5 percentage points, or 1.24 times that in Germany.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Germany.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Germany at 75.6% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Germany | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 62.7 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 61.4 | 76 |
| 2023 | 61.8 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 64.1 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 67.4 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 67.5 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 58.4 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 60.5 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 63.7 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 68.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 71 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 74.4 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 77.4 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 79.8 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 78.5 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 81 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 72.4 | 27 |
| 2008 | 65.2 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 63.7 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 66.4 | 28 |
| 2005 | 67.1 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 65 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 63.3 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 59.8 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 58.1 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 59.2 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 60.4 | – |
| 1998 | 59.4 | – |
| 1997 | 58.8 | – |
| 1996 | 57.7 | – |
| 1995 | 54.9 | – |
| 1994 | 47.5 | – |
| 1993 | 45.1 | – |
| 1992 | 41.4 | – |
| 1991 | 39 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Germany | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64.6 | 78 |
| 2027 | 67 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 69.3 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 71.5 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 73.6 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 75.6 | 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
Germany vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyGermany: 81.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGermany: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGermany: 3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionGermany: 3.96% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateGermany: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGermany: 84.6 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthGermany: 0.35% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGermany: 1.44 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGermany: 82.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageGermany: 45.2 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGermany: 22.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateGermany: 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGermany: 2.27% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGermany: $107B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personGermany: $1,346 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGermany: 4.5% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGermany: 183,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerGermany: 1.5% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGermany: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGermany: 1.63 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGermany: 1.7 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025