Mali vs South Africa
Mali vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 40.3% of GDP in Mali in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 32 percentage points, or 1.73 times that in Mali.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Mali.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Mali at 39.8% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Mali | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40.3 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 44 | 76 |
| 2023 | 44.2 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 43 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 43.2 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 39.9 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 34.3 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 31.4 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 30.2 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 30.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 25.8 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 22.6 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 22.2 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 21.3 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 20.1 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 21.8 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 18.8 | 27 |
| 2008 | 17.3 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 15.6 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 15.4 | 28 |
| 2005 | 39.5 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 36.1 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 37.7 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 36 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 66.3 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 77 | 37.9 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Mali | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 39.7 | 78 |
| 2027 | 39 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 38.9 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 39.1 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 39.4 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 39.8 | 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
Mali vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyMali: 60.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMali: 7.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMali: 60.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMali: 3.01% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateMali: 6.8 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMali: 23.8 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthMali: 2.97% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMali: 5.61 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMali: 32.2% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageMali: 15.5 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMali: 2.4% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateMali: -1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMali: 3.87% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMali: $883M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personMali: $38 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMali: 14.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMali: 41,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerMali: 0.1% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMali: 0.54% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMali: 64 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025