Ghana vs Zimbabwe
Ghana vs Zimbabwe: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 48.8% of GDP in Ghana and 38% of GDP in Zimbabwe, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ghana, by 10.9 percentage points, or 1.29 times that in Zimbabwe.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ghana has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Zimbabwe.
- In 2025, Ghana ranked 84 and Zimbabwe ranked 111 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ghana at 47.3% of GDP and Zimbabwe at 25.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ghana | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48.8 | 38 |
| 2024 | 70.1 | 70.4 |
| 2023 | 79.1 | 76.1 |
| 2022 | 92.7 | 66.8 |
| 2021 | 86.9 | 39.9 |
| 2020 | 79.1 | 56.8 |
| 2019 | 62.9 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 62 | 33 |
| 2017 | 57 | 49 |
| 2016 | 55.9 | 35.1 |
| 2015 | 53.9 | 34.1 |
| 2014 | 50.1 | 29.2 |
| 2013 | 42.9 | 26.4 |
| 2012 | 35.5 | 27.2 |
| 2011 | 31.2 | 30 |
| 2010 | 32.9 | 33.2 |
| 2009 | 25.4 | 39.7 |
| 2008 | 23.2 | 41.3 |
| 2007 | 21.1 | 30.2 |
| 2006 | 17.3 | 26.7 |
| 2005 | 31.7 | 22.4 |
| 2004 | 38.4 | – |
| 2003 | 49.3 | – |
| 2002 | 54.1 | – |
| 2001 | 57.8 | – |
| 2000 | 74.5 | – |
| 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 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ghana | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51.7 | 33.5 |
| 2027 | 50.8 | 30.6 |
| 2028 | 49.7 | 30.2 |
| 2029 | 49 | 28.2 |
| 2030 | 48.2 | 26.7 |
| 2031 | 47.3 | 25.7 |
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 Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGhana: 44.5% in 2022Zimbabwe: 26.5% in 2022
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGhana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025Zimbabwe: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- Armed forces personnelGhana: 16,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsGhana: 19 million TIV in 2005Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001