Mozambique vs South Africa
Mozambique vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 90.8% of GDP in Mozambique in 2023 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Mozambique, by 17.6 percentage points, or 1.24 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Mozambique has been higher since 2013, when it overtook South Africa.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Mozambique at 98.7% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Mozambique | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 91.2 | 76 |
| 2023 | 90.8 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 97.3 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 101.4 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 120 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 98.3 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 105.5 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 103.8 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 124.8 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 86 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 63.4 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 49.5 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 36.7 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 34.2 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 38.6 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 39.3 | 27 |
| 2008 | 32.8 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 31.2 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 40 | 28 |
| 2005 | 60.1 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 50.8 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 63.2 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 63.4 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 99.8 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 95.8 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 94.7 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Mozambique | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 90.3 | 78.4 |
| 2026 | 91 | 78 |
| 2027 | 98.6 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 104.8 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 109.8 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 108.8 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 98.7 | 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Mozambique vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyMozambique: 63.6 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMozambique: 5.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMozambique: 49.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMozambique: 3.9% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateMozambique: 17.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMozambique: 33.6 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthMozambique: 2.94% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMozambique: 4.76 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMozambique: 37.2% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageMozambique: 16.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMozambique: 2.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateMozambique: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMozambique: 1.87% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMozambique: $446M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personMozambique: $13 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMozambique: 6% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMozambique: 11,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerMozambique: 0.13% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMozambique: 0.08% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMozambique: 14 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMozambique: 1 million TIV in 1977South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025