Ghana vs South Africa
Ghana vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 48.8% of GDP in Ghana in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 5.8 percentage points, or 1.08 times that in Ghana.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Ghana.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ghana at 47.3% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ghana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48.8 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 70.1 | 76 |
| 2023 | 79.1 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 92.7 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 86.9 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 79.1 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 62.9 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 62 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 57 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 55.9 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 53.9 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 50.1 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 42.9 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 35.5 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 31.2 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 32.9 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 25.4 | 27 |
| 2008 | 23.2 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 21.1 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 17.3 | 28 |
| 2005 | 31.7 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 38.4 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 49.3 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 54.1 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 57.8 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 74.5 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 51.7 | – |
| 1998 | 37.6 | – |
| 1997 | 45.2 | – |
| 1996 | 42.9 | – |
| 1995 | 47.6 | – |
| 1994 | 50.6 | – |
| 1993 | 34.1 | – |
| 1992 | 21.3 | – |
| 1991 | 17.3 | – |
| 1990 | 17.8 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ghana | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51.7 | 78 |
| 2027 | 50.8 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 49.7 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 49 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 48.2 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 47.3 | 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
Ghana vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGhana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGhana: 16,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGhana: 19 million TIV in 2005South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025