Malawi vs South Africa
Malawi vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 96.6% of GDP in Malawi in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malawi, by 10.6 percentage points, or 1.14 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2022, when it overtook South Africa.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malawi at 67.5% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Malawi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96.6 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 86.6 | 76 |
| 2023 | 84.5 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 75.7 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 66.6 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 53.9 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 41.2 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 40.8 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 40 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 37.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 35.5 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 33.5 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 35.4 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 28.6 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 20 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 19.3 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 23.5 | 27 |
| 2008 | 23.5 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 19 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 17.9 | 28 |
| 2005 | 70.9 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 74.7 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 84.7 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 101.5 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | – | 38.1 |
| 2000 | – | 37.9 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malawi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 78 | 78 |
| 2027 | 75 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 71.8 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 69.6 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 68.3 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 67.5 | 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
Malawi vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalawi: 1 million TIV in 2000South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025