Rwanda vs South Africa
Rwanda vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 64.7% of GDP in Rwanda in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 12.5 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in Rwanda.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Rwanda.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Rwanda at 59.9% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Rwanda | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64.7 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 63.4 | 76 |
| 2023 | 61.6 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 59 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 66.2 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 66.7 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 52.8 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 49.2 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 46.1 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 41.5 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 33.5 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 29.5 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 27 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 19.3 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 18.9 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 19 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 18.7 | 27 |
| 2008 | 18.5 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 22.4 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 22.8 | 28 |
| 2005 | 58.9 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 80.9 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 79.5 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 92 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 84 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 86 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 78.4 | – |
| 1998 | 70.1 | – |
| 1997 | 72.2 | – |
| 1996 | 83.5 | – |
| 1995 | 100.8 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Rwanda | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 63.4 | 78 |
| 2027 | 63.4 | 78.1 |
| 2028 | 63.4 | 78.8 |
| 2029 | 62 | 79.5 |
| 2030 | 61 | 79.7 |
| 2031 | 59.9 | 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
Rwanda vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRwanda: 35,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025