Israel vs South Africa
Israel vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 67.9% of GDP in Israel in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 8.3 percentage points, or 1.12 times that in Israel.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2021, when it overtook Israel.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Israel at 72.7% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Israel | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67.9 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 67.7 | 76 |
| 2023 | 61.9 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 60.9 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 68.2 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 71.4 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 59.5 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 60.3 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 60.1 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 62 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 63.2 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 66.1 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 66.4 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 67.2 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 67.5 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 69.4 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 73 | 27 |
| 2008 | 70.6 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 71.2 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 78.1 | 28 |
| 2005 | 85.7 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 88.7 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 90.1 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 87.6 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 81.4 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 77.5 | 37.9 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Israel | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 68.8 | 78 |
| 2027 | 69.5 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 70.5 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 71.2 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 71.9 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 72.7 | 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
Israel vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyIsrael: 82.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIsrael: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIsrael: 2.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIsrael: 3.83% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateIsrael: 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIsrael: 9.26 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthIsrael: 1.42% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIsrael: 2.83 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIsrael: 91.6% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageIsrael: 29.2 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIsrael: 12.4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIsrael: 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIsrael: 7.81% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIsrael: $43.7B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personIsrael: $5,108 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIsrael: 17.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIsrael: 178,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerIsrael: 0.38% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIsrael: 4.23% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIsrael: 537 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIsrael: 2.62 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025