Senegal vs South Africa
Senegal vs South Africa: Government debt
Government debt: 127.7% of GDP in Senegal in 2025 and 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Senegal, by 60.1 percentage points, or 1.79 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Senegal has been higher since 2016, when it overtook South Africa.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 79.8% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Senegal | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 127.7 | 78.4 |
| 2024 | 136.1 | 76 |
| 2023 | 120.6 | 73.2 |
| 2022 | 106.9 | 70.7 |
| 2021 | 98.9 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | 90.5 | 68.9 |
| 2019 | 79.6 | 56.1 |
| 2018 | 61.5 | 51.5 |
| 2017 | 61.1 | 48.6 |
| 2016 | 47.5 | 47.1 |
| 2015 | 44.5 | 45.2 |
| 2014 | 42.4 | 43.3 |
| 2013 | 36.9 | 40.4 |
| 2012 | 34.5 | 37.4 |
| 2011 | 32.9 | 34.7 |
| 2010 | 34.6 | 31.2 |
| 2009 | 29.9 | 27 |
| 2008 | 19.1 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 19 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 17.5 | 28 |
| 2005 | 36.1 | 29.6 |
| 2004 | 38 | 30.7 |
| 2003 | 42.9 | 31.5 |
| 2002 | 52 | 31.8 |
| 2001 | 53.2 | 38.1 |
| 2000 | 57.5 | 37.9 |
| 1999 | 15 | – |
| 1998 | 18.8 | – |
| 1997 | 67.8 | – |
| 1996 | 0.1 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Senegal | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | – | 78 |
| 2027 | – | 78.1 |
| 2028 | – | 78.8 |
| 2029 | – | 79.5 |
| 2030 | – | 79.7 |
| 2031 | – | 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
Senegal vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancySenegal: 68.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySenegal: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySenegal: 24.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSenegal: 3.37% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateSenegal: 12.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSenegal: 18.1 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthSenegal: 2.33% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSenegal: 3.82 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSenegal: 55.8% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageSenegal: 19.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSenegal: 3.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSenegal: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSenegal: 1.56% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSenegal: $533M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personSenegal: $30 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSenegal: 5.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSenegal: 19,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerSenegal: 0.1% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSenegal: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSenegal: 79 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSenegal: 3 million TIV in 1976South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025