Guinea vs South Africa
Guinea vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 36.3% of GDP in Guinea in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 43.9 percentage points, or 2.37 times that in Guinea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2012, when it overtook Guinea.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Guinea at 20.1% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Guinea | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36.3 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 32 | 76 |
| 2023 | 25.9 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 25.7 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 27.9 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 29 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 25.4 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 26 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 24.7 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 25.9 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 27.3 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 20.1 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 19.6 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 16.7 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 36.1 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 51.9 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 40.2 | 27 |
| 2008 | 42.7 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 45.8 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 75.2 | 28 |
| 2005 | 76.1 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 66.6 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 66.6 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 68.9 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 74.2 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 75.7 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 78.6 | – |
| 1998 | 65.9 | – |
| 1997 | 58.9 | – |
| 1996 | 59.5 | – |
| 1995 | 59.4 | – |
| 1994 | 63.7 | – |
| 1993 | 61.6 | – |
| 1992 | 55.4 | – |
| 1991 | 63.3 | – |
| 1990 | 64 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Guinea | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34.8 | 78 |
| 2027 | 31.9 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 28 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 24.4 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 22.2 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 20.1 | 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
Guinea vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyGuinea: 60.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGuinea: 9.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGuinea: 65.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionGuinea: 3.56% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateGuinea: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGuinea: 14.4 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthGuinea: 2.45% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGuinea: 4.22 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGuinea: 38.5% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageGuinea: 18 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGuinea: 3.4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateGuinea: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGuinea: 2.03% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGuinea: $586M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personGuinea: $40 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGuinea: 10.6% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGuinea: 13,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerGuinea: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGuinea: 0.32% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGuinea: 6 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025