India vs South Africa
India vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 2% a year in India and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 1.2 percentage points, or 1.57 times that in India.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2025, when it overtook India.
- In 2025, India ranked 117 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts India at 4% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | India | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 5.4 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 6.6 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 5.5 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 6.2 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 4.8 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 3.4 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 3.6 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 4.5 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 5.9 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 9.8 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 10 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 8.1 | 5 |
| 2010 | 9.4 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 10.6 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 9.2 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 5.9 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 6.7 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 4.1 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 5 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 3.8 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 3.4 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 13.1 | 7 |
| 1997 | 6.8 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 9.4 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 10 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 10.3 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 7.3 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 9.9 | 14 |
| 1991 | 13.5 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 11.2 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 4.6 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 7.2 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 9.1 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | 8.9 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 6.3 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 6.5 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 12.6 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 7.7 | 14 |
| 1981 | 12.7 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 11.4 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | India | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 4 | 3 |
| 2030 | 4 | 3 |
| 2031 | 4 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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
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