South Africa vs Sudan
South Africa vs Sudan: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 3.2% a year in South Africa and 99.9% a year in Sudan, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sudan, by 96.7 percentage points, or 31 times that in South Africa.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Sudan has been higher since 2002, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 79 and Sudan ranked 2 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 3% a year and Sudan at 12% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | South Africa | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.2 | 99.9 |
| 2024 | 4.4 | 176.9 |
| 2023 | 5.9 | 66.6 |
| 2022 | 6.9 | 138.8 |
| 2021 | 4.6 | 359.1 |
| 2020 | 3.3 | 163.3 |
| 2019 | 4.1 | 51 |
| 2018 | 4.6 | 63.3 |
| 2017 | 5.3 | 32.4 |
| 2016 | 6.3 | 17.8 |
| 2015 | 4.6 | 16.9 |
| 2014 | 6.1 | 36.9 |
| 2013 | 5.7 | 36.5 |
| 2012 | 5.7 | 35.6 |
| 2011 | 5 | 18.1 |
| 2010 | 4.2 | 13 |
| 2009 | 7.2 | 11.3 |
| 2008 | 10.9 | 14.3 |
| 2007 | 7.1 | 14.8 |
| 2006 | 4.7 | 7.2 |
| 2005 | 3.4 | 8.5 |
| 2004 | 1.4 | 9.7 |
| 2003 | 5.9 | 6.5 |
| 2002 | 9.1 | 22.2 |
| 2001 | 5.7 | 1.9 |
| 2000 | 5.3 | 7.1 |
| 1999 | 5.1 | 17.2 |
| 1998 | 7 | 24.6 |
| 1997 | 8.6 | 47.2 |
| 1996 | 7.4 | 86.8 |
| 1995 | 8.8 | 68.4 |
| 1994 | 8.9 | 115.5 |
| 1993 | 9.6 | 101.3 |
| 1992 | 14 | 117.6 |
| 1991 | 15.1 | 123.6 |
| 1990 | 14.4 | -0.9 |
| 1989 | 14.8 | 65.3 |
| 1988 | 12.6 | 62.9 |
| 1987 | 16.4 | 26.5 |
| 1986 | 18.2 | 60 |
| 1985 | 16.5 | 45.6 |
| 1984 | 11.3 | 33.7 |
| 1983 | 12.7 | 30.6 |
| 1982 | 14 | 26.6 |
| 1981 | 15.9 | 24 |
| 1980 | 14.2 | 26.5 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | South Africa | Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.4 | 41.3 |
| 2027 | 3.9 | 50.9 |
| 2028 | 3.3 | 23.7 |
| 2029 | 3 | 12.3 |
| 2030 | 3 | 12 |
| 2031 | 3 | 12 |
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
South Africa vs Sudan
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Sudan: 66.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Sudan: 6.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sudan: 36.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Sudan: 3.78% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Sudan: 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Sudan: 50 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Sudan: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Sudan: 4.32 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Sudan: 34.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Sudan: 18.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Sudan: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Sudan: -27 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Sudan: 0.93% of GDP in 2021
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Sudan: $2.77B in 2021
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Sudan: $8 in 2021
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Sudan: 9.5% of government spending in 2021
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Sudan: 144,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Sudan: 0.37% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Sudan: 1.34% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Sudan: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Sudan: 11 million TIV in 2013