Nigeria vs South Africa
Nigeria vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 36.1% of GDP in Nigeria in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 36.6 percentage points, or 1.93 times that in Nigeria.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2001, when it overtook Nigeria.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Nigeria at 31.9% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36.1 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 39.3 | 76 |
| 2023 | 36.3 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 29.8 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 26.6 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 25.7 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 21.4 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 20.4 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 18 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 17.4 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 14.9 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 15.8 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 13 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 12.5 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 12.4 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 6.7 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 6.1 | 27 |
| 2008 | 5.2 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 5.8 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 6.7 | 28 |
| 2005 | 13.5 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 25.2 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 29.9 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 30.7 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 37.7 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 40.9 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 46.1 | – |
| 1998 | 15.8 | – |
| 1997 | 17.1 | – |
| 1996 | 17.9 | – |
| 1995 | 24.2 | – |
| 1994 | 39.7 | – |
| 1993 | 50.4 | – |
| 1992 | 49.8 | – |
| 1991 | 53.2 | – |
| 1990 | 50.9 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Nigeria | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34.7 | 78 |
| 2027 | 32.8 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 32.9 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 32.5 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 32.2 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 31.9 | 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
Nigeria vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNigeria: 223,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025