India vs South Africa
India vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 84.8% of GDP in India and 76% of GDP in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in India, by 8.9 percentage points, or 1.12 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- India has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts India at 75.1% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | India | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 84.8 | 76 |
| 2023 | 84.8 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 84.4 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 85.5 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 90.4 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 76.5 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 71.6 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 70.7 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 69.8 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 69.7 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 67.6 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 68 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 68.1 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 68.7 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 67.7 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 72.7 | 27 |
| 2008 | 74.3 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 75.4 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 77.9 | 28 |
| 2005 | 82.4 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 84.9 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 85.9 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 84.3 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 80.1 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 74.9 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 71.3 | – |
| 1998 | 69.3 | – |
| 1997 | 69 | – |
| 1996 | 67.1 | – |
| 1995 | 70.9 | – |
| 1994 | 74.8 | – |
| 1993 | 78.3 | – |
| 1992 | 78.8 | – |
| 1991 | 76.7 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | India | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84.3 | 78.4 |
| 2026 | 83.1 | 78 |
| 2027 | 81.3 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 79.9 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 78.4 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 77 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 75.1 | 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
India vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIndia: 8.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025