Iran vs South Africa
Iran vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 50.6% a year in Iran and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 47.4 percentage points, or 16 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher since 1991, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Iran ranked 5 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Iran at 25% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Iran | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 50.6 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 32.5 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 40.7 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 45.8 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 40.2 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 36.5 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 34.8 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 26.9 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 8.2 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 6.8 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 11.2 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 14.5 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 32.9 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 29.3 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 25.3 | 5 |
| 2010 | 12.3 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 10.8 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 25.3 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 18.4 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 12 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 10.3 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 15.3 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 15.6 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 15.8 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 11.5 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 12.3 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | 20.2 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 18.5 | 7 |
| 1997 | 16.5 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 23.9 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 49.3 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 34.9 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 22.5 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 24.5 | 14 |
| 1991 | 20.2 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 9 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 17.4 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 28.9 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 27.7 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | 23.7 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 4.4 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 12.6 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 19.7 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 18.7 | 14 |
| 1981 | 24.2 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 20.6 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Iran | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 78.6 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 42.1 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 38 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 30.3 | 3 |
| 2030 | 25 | 3 |
| 2031 | 25 | 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
Iran vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIran: 77.4% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025