Malawi vs South Sudan: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 96.6% of GDP in Malawi and 64.2% of GDP in South Sudan, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malawi, by 32.3 percentage points, or 1.5 times that in South Sudan.
MalawiSouth Sudan
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · IMF
Latest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 96.6 2025 | 35.5 | 20 of 149 | 67.5 2031 |
| South Sudan | 64.2 2025 | 58.2 | 49 of 149 | 46.3 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Sudan.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 20 and South Sudan ranked 49 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malawi at 67.5% of GDP and South Sudan at 46.3% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Malawi | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 96.6 | 64.2 |
| 2024 | 86.6 | 53.7 |
| 2023 | 84.5 | 60.7 |
| 2022 | 75.7 | 42.2 |
| 2021 | 66.6 | 56.4 |
| 2020 | 53.9 | 48.3 |
| 2019 | 41.2 | 43.4 |
| 2018 | 40.8 | 84.3 |
| 2017 | 40 | 77.5 |
| 2016 | 37.1 | 128.9 |
| 2015 | 35.5 | 58.2 |
| 2014 | 33.5 | 39.6 |
| 2013 | 35.4 | 17.6 |
| 2012 | 28.6 | 8.9 |
| 2011 | 20 | – |
| 2010 | 19.3 | – |
| 2009 | 23.5 | – |
| 2008 | 23.5 | – |
| 2007 | 19 | – |
| 2006 | 17.9 | – |
| 2005 | 70.9 | – |
| 2004 | 74.7 | – |
| 2003 | 84.7 | – |
| 2002 | 101.5 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malawi | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 78 | 43.2 |
| 2027 | 75 | 43 |
| 2028 | 71.8 | 44.4 |
| 2029 | 69.6 | 45.4 |
| 2030 | 68.3 | 45.7 |
| 2031 | 67.5 | 46.3 |
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