Italy vs South Africa
Italy vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 137.1% of GDP in Italy in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Italy, by 58.7 percentage points, or 1.77 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Italy has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Italy at 135.6% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Italy | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 137.1 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 134.7 | 76 |
| 2023 | 133.9 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 138.4 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 145.8 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 154.4 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 133.9 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 134.2 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 133.7 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 134.2 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 134.8 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 134.8 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 131.9 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 125.9 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 119.1 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 118.8 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 116.1 | 27 |
| 2008 | 105.8 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 103.5 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 106.3 | 28 |
| 2005 | 106.2 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 104.7 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 105.1 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 105.9 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 108.5 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 108.7 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 113.1 | – |
| 1998 | 113.9 | – |
| 1997 | 116.5 | – |
| 1996 | 118.9 | – |
| 1995 | 119.1 | – |
| 1994 | 130.8 | – |
| 1993 | 124.1 | – |
| 1992 | 113 | – |
| 1991 | 105.3 | – |
| 1990 | 101.7 | – |
| 1989 | 98.4 | – |
| 1988 | 95.7 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Italy | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 137.9 | 78 |
| 2027 | 137.6 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 137 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 136.2 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 135.8 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 135.6 | 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
Italy vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyItaly: 83.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityItaly: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityItaly: 2.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionItaly: 3.46% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateItaly: 4.8 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationItaly: 59.5 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthItaly: -0.22% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateItaly: 1.2 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationItaly: 69.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageItaly: 47.5 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overItaly: 24.2% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateItaly: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingItaly: 1.89% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsItaly: $45.4B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personItaly: $813 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingItaly: 3.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelItaly: 338,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerItaly: 0.96% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersItaly: 1.35% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsItaly: 566 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsItaly: 1.92 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025