Rwanda vs Zimbabwe
Rwanda vs Zimbabwe: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 64.7% of GDP in Rwanda and 38% of GDP in Zimbabwe, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 26.7 percentage points, or 1.7 times that in Zimbabwe.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Zimbabwe.
- In 2025, Rwanda ranked 48 and Zimbabwe ranked 111 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Rwanda at 59.9% of GDP and Zimbabwe at 25.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Rwanda | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64.7 | 38 |
| 2024 | 63.4 | 70.4 |
| 2023 | 61.6 | 76.1 |
| 2022 | 59 | 66.8 |
| 2021 | 66.2 | 39.9 |
| 2020 | 66.7 | 56.8 |
| 2019 | 52.8 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 49.2 | 33 |
| 2017 | 46.1 | 49 |
| 2016 | 41.5 | 35.1 |
| 2015 | 33.5 | 34.1 |
| 2014 | 29.5 | 29.2 |
| 2013 | 27 | 26.4 |
| 2012 | 19.3 | 27.2 |
| 2011 | 18.9 | 30 |
| 2010 | 19 | 33.2 |
| 2009 | 18.7 | 39.7 |
| 2008 | 18.5 | 41.3 |
| 2007 | 22.4 | 30.2 |
| 2006 | 22.8 | 26.7 |
| 2005 | 58.9 | 22.4 |
| 2004 | 80.9 | – |
| 2003 | 79.5 | – |
| 2002 | 92 | – |
| 2001 | 84 | – |
| 2000 | 86 | – |
| 1999 | 78.4 | – |
| 1998 | 70.1 | – |
| 1997 | 72.2 | – |
| 1996 | 83.5 | – |
| 1995 | 100.8 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Rwanda | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 63.4 | 33.5 |
| 2027 | 63.4 | 30.6 |
| 2028 | 63.4 | 30.2 |
| 2029 | 62 | 28.2 |
| 2030 | 61 | 26.7 |
| 2031 | 59.9 | 25.7 |
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 Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025Zimbabwe: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- Armed forces personnelRwanda: 35,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023