Lesotho vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 49.4% of GDP in Lesotho in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 23.4 percentage points, or 1.45 times that in Lesotho.
LesothoSouth Africa
Watch it change on the mapLatest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesotho | 49.4 2025 | 45.8 | 83 of 149 | 52.2 2031 |
| South Africa | 76 2024 | 43.3 | — | 79.8 2031 |
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Lesotho.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Lesotho at 52.2% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Lesotho | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 49.4 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 52.5 | 76 |
| 2023 | 61 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 64.6 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 58 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 54.7 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 58.2 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 48.2 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 41 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 41.5 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 45.8 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 41.5 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 41.2 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 39.9 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 36.2 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 33.8 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 35.9 | 27 |
| 2008 | 47 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 49.6 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 43.7 | 28 |
| 2005 | 41 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 49.4 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 52.6 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 79.6 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 108.7 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 88.5 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 83 | – |
| 1998 | 79.4 | – |
| 1997 | 65.7 | – |
| 1996 | 71.6 | – |
| 1995 | 62.8 | – |
| 1994 | 67 | – |
| 1993 | 71.2 | – |
| 1992 | 64.4 | – |
| 1991 | 11.9 | – |
| 1990 | 18 | – |
| 1989 | 25.5 | – |
| 1988 | 23.3 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Lesotho | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47.5 | 78 |
| 2027 | 48 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 48.5 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 49.2 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 50.7 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 52.2 | 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