Poland vs South Africa
Poland vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 59.7% of GDP in Poland in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 21.1 percentage points, or 1.38 times that in Poland.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Poland.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Poland at 82% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Poland | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.7 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 54.9 | 76 |
| 2023 | 49.5 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 48.8 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 53 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 56.6 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 45.2 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 48.2 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 50.4 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 54.1 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 51.1 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 51.1 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 56.9 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 54.5 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 54.8 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 53.8 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 49.7 | 27 |
| 2008 | 46.6 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 44.4 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 47.1 | 28 |
| 2005 | 46.5 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 45 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 46.2 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 41.4 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 37 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 36.3 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 39.2 | – |
| 1998 | 38.6 | – |
| 1997 | 42.6 | – |
| 1996 | 43 | – |
| 1995 | 48.6 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Poland | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 66.6 | 78 |
| 2027 | 70.7 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 73.7 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 77 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 79.8 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 82 | 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
Poland vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyPoland: 78.6 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPoland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPoland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionPoland: 2.25% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide ratePoland: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPoland: 38.8 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthPoland: -0.26% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePoland: 1.3 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPoland: 60.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median agePoland: 41.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPoland: 19.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration ratePoland: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPoland: 4.5% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPoland: $42.5B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personPoland: $1,219 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPoland: 9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPoland: 189,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerPoland: 0.52% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPoland: 1.04% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPoland: 2.17 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPoland: 59 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025