Rwanda vs South Africa
Rwanda vs South Africa: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 7% a year in Rwanda and 3.2% a year in South Africa, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 3.8 percentage points, or 2.18 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 2022, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Rwanda ranked 32 and South Africa ranked 79 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Rwanda at 5% a year and South Africa at 3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Rwanda | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 14 | 5.9 |
| 2022 | 13.9 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 0.8 | 4.6 |
| 2020 | 7.7 | 3.3 |
| 2019 | 2.4 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | 1.4 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | 4.8 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | 5.7 | 6.3 |
| 2015 | 2.5 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 1.8 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 4.2 | 5.7 |
| 2012 | 6.3 | 5.7 |
| 2011 | 5.7 | 5 |
| 2010 | 2.3 | 4.2 |
| 2009 | 10.3 | 7.2 |
| 2008 | 15.4 | 10.9 |
| 2007 | 9.1 | 7.1 |
| 2006 | 8.8 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 9.1 | 3.4 |
| 2004 | 12 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | 7.4 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 2 | 9.1 |
| 2001 | 3.4 | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 3.9 | 5.3 |
| 1999 | -2 | 5.1 |
| 1998 | 8.8 | 7 |
| 1997 | 11.8 | 8.6 |
| 1996 | 13.2 | 7.4 |
| 1995 | 56 | 8.8 |
| 1994 | 21 | 8.9 |
| 1993 | 12.5 | 9.6 |
| 1992 | 9.5 | 14 |
| 1991 | 19.6 | 15.1 |
| 1990 | 4.2 | 14.4 |
| 1989 | 1 | 14.8 |
| 1988 | 2.9 | 12.6 |
| 1987 | 4.1 | 16.4 |
| 1986 | -1.1 | 18.2 |
| 1985 | 1.7 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 5.4 | 11.3 |
| 1983 | 6.6 | 12.7 |
| 1982 | 12.6 | 14 |
| 1981 | 6.4 | 15.9 |
| 1980 | 7.2 | 14.2 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Rwanda | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12.3 | 4.4 |
| 2027 | 7.9 | 3.9 |
| 2028 | 5 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 5 | 3 |
| 2030 | 5 | 3 |
| 2031 | 5 | 3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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