Namibia vs South Africa
Namibia vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 67.6% of GDP in Namibia in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 7.5 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in Namibia.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Namibia.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Namibia at 71.2% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Namibia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67.6 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 68.5 | 76 |
| 2023 | 67.2 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 70.1 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 69.6 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 64.3 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 57.6 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 48.7 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 43.8 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 45.8 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 42.1 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 27.6 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 26.1 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 24.6 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 27.5 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 16.3 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 15.9 | 27 |
| 2008 | 19.1 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 19.4 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 26.1 | 28 |
| 2005 | 26.9 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 29.2 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 27.2 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 22.2 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 24.4 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 20.9 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 21.8 | – |
| 1998 | 19.6 | – |
| 1997 | 17.7 | – |
| 1996 | 18.7 | – |
| 1995 | 18 | – |
| 1994 | 16.4 | – |
| 1993 | 17.2 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Namibia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 67.6 | 78 |
| 2027 | 67.8 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 68.5 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 69.2 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 70.2 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 71.2 | 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
Namibia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyNamibia: 67.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNamibia: 4 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNamibia: 27.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNamibia: 3.46% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateNamibia: 11.8 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNamibia: 2.96 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthNamibia: 2.37% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNamibia: 3.21 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNamibia: 50.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageNamibia: 21 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNamibia: 3.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateNamibia: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNamibia: 2.77% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNamibia: $386M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personNamibia: $134 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNamibia: 7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNamibia: 16,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerNamibia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNamibia: 1.67% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNamibia: 0 TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025