Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Government debt

Government debt: 31.8% of GDP in Saudi Arabia in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 50.1 percentage points, or 2.94 times that in Saudi Arabia.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

Saudi ArabiaSouth AfricaIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Saudi Arabia.
The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Saudi Arabia at 48.7% of GDP and South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

Year	Saudi Arabia	South Africa
2025	31.8	78.4
2024	25.9	76
2023	23	73.2
2022	21.3	70.7
2021	25.5	68.8
2020	29.7	68.9
2019	20.3	56.1
2018	16.8	51.5
2017	16	48.6
2016	12.3	47.1
2015	5.5	45.2
2014	1.5	43.3
2013	2.1	40.4
2012	3	37.4
2011	5.3	34.7
2010	8.4	31.2
2009	14	27
2008	12.1	24.1
2007	17.1	24.3
2006	25.8	28
2005	37.3	29.6
2004	62.9	30.7
2003	81.6	31.5
2002	96.4	31.8
2001	93.2	38.1
2000	86.7	37.9
1999	103	–
1998	101.5	–
1997	76.7	–
1996	75.2	–
1995	74.3	–
1994	67.9	–
1993	58.6	–
1992	47.8	–
1991	39.4	–

12.3Projected

IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031

Year	Saudi Arabia	South Africa
2026	35.4	78
2027	37.3	78.1
2028	40.2	78.8
2029	43.1	79.5
2030	45.9	79.7
2031	48.7	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

Saudi Arabia vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSaudi Arabia: 31 deaths in 2022South Africa: 0 deaths in 2022