South Africa vs Tanzania
South Africa vs Tanzania: Government debt
Government debt: 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024 and 47.8% of GDP in Tanzania in 2023, by IMF estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 25.4 percentage points, or 1.53 times that in Tanzania.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Tanzania.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 79.8% of GDP and Tanzania at 41.4% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | South Africa | Tanzania |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 76 | 50 |
| 2023 | 73.2 | 47.8 |
| 2022 | 70.7 | 44.9 |
| 2021 | 68.8 | 43.4 |
| 2020 | 68.9 | 41.3 |
| 2019 | 56.1 | 40.4 |
| 2018 | 51.5 | 42 |
| 2017 | 48.6 | 40.1 |
| 2016 | 47.1 | 39.8 |
| 2015 | 45.2 | 39.5 |
| 2014 | 43.3 | 36.4 |
| 2013 | 40.4 | 32.7 |
| 2012 | 37.4 | 30.1 |
| 2011 | 34.7 | 28.4 |
| 2010 | 31.2 | 27.6 |
| 2009 | 27 | 23.9 |
| 2008 | 24.1 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | 24.3 | 23.8 |
| 2006 | 28 | 34.5 |
| 2005 | 29.6 | 46.1 |
| 2004 | 30.7 | 44.5 |
| 2003 | 31.5 | 44.4 |
| 2002 | 31.8 | 47.4 |
| 2001 | 38.1 | 50.8 |
| 2000 | 37.9 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | South Africa | Tanzania |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78.4 | 49.8 |
| 2026 | 78 | 48.1 |
| 2027 | 78.1 | 46.6 |
| 2028 | 78.8 | 45.2 |
| 2029 | 79.5 | 43.9 |
| 2030 | 79.7 | 42.9 |
| 2031 | 79.8 | 41.4 |
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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs Tanzania
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Tanzania: 67 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Tanzania: 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Tanzania: 28.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Tanzania: 3.69% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Tanzania: 8.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Tanzania: 66.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Tanzania: 2.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Tanzania: 4.61 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Tanzania: 36.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Tanzania: 17.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Tanzania: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Tanzania: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Tanzania: 1.16% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Tanzania: $983M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Tanzania: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Tanzania: 5.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Tanzania: 28,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Tanzania: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Tanzania: 0.1% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Tanzania: 4 million TIV in 2025