South Africa vs United Kingdom

South Africa vs United Kingdom: Government debt

Government debt: 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 23.4 percentage points, or 1.31 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · IMF

South Africa vs United Kingdom: Government debtGovernment debt: 76% of GDP in South Africa in 2024 and 102.1% of GDP in United Kingdom in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 23.4 percentage points, or 1.31 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaUnited KingdomIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher since 2002, when it overtook South Africa.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts South Africa at 79.8% of GDP and United Kingdom at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.

Every year

% of GDP · IMF

YearSouth AfricaUnited Kingdom
202578.4102.1
20247699.4
202373.298.3
202270.797.1
202168.8103
202068.9104.4
201956.184.5
201851.585.3
201748.685.9
201647.187.2
201545.287.3
201443.386.4
201340.484.8
201237.484
201134.781
201031.275.5
20092764.6
200824.150.7
200724.343.1
20062842.1
200529.641
200430.739.8
200331.536.8
200231.835.5
200138.135
200037.937.7
1999–40.5
1998–42
1997–44.1
1996–43.7
1995–43.7
1994–40.8
1993–38
1992–33.3
1991–28.5
1990–28.5
1989–32.6
1988–37.1
1987–39.3
1986–41.4
1985–41.4
1984–42.3
1983–41.9
1982–43.1
1981–44.9
1980–42.7
  • 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearSouth AfricaUnited Kingdom
202678102
202778.1102.5
202878.8102.3
202979.5101.6
203079.7100.9
203179.8100.2

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

South Africa vs United Kingdom

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