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MacroSouth Africa

Government debt in South Africa

How indebted is the state my taxes would go to?

South Africa's government debt is 78.60 % — #91 of 124 countries on the atlas (lower is better). Period 2025.

78.60%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP)

The central government owes about 0.8 years' worth of the country's entire economic output.

Government debt in South Africa over time

78.60 %51.30 %24.00 %24.00 % · 20082000: 37.90 %2001: 38.00 %2002: 31.80 %2003: 31.50 %2004: 30.70 %2005: 29.60 %2006: 28.00 %2007: 24.30 %2008: 24.00 %2009: 27.00 %2010: 31.20 %2011: 34.70 %2012: 37.40 %2013: 40.40 %2014: 43.30 %2015: 45.20 %2016: 47.10 %2017: 48.60 %2018: 51.50 %2019: 56.10 %2020: 68.90 %2021: 68.80 %2022: 70.70 %2023: 73.20 %2024: 76.00 %2025: 78.60 %20002012202578.60 %
26 official observations, 2000 → 2025. Every point is a published value — never interpolated.
Rank
#91 of 124
lower is better
Ranked behind
27 %
33 of 124 countries
Latest move
▲ 2.60 pp
since 2024
Full series
▲ 40.70 pp
since 2000

In Africa: #15 of 20vs median 54.55 %: +24.05 pp (worse)

Among 124 countries

5 of 124 countries between 12.30 % and 17.86 %4 of 124 countries between 17.86 % and 23.42 %9 of 124 countries between 23.42 % and 28.97 %9 of 124 countries between 28.97 % and 34.53 %9 of 124 countries between 34.53 % and 40.09 %11 of 124 countries between 40.09 % and 45.65 %8 of 124 countries between 45.65 % and 51.21 %11 of 124 countries between 51.21 % and 56.77 %8 of 124 countries between 56.77 % and 62.32 %7 of 124 countries between 62.32 % and 67.88 %6 of 124 countries between 67.88 % and 73.44 %5 of 124 countries between 73.44 % and 79.00 %6 of 124 countries between 79.00 % and 84.56 %7 of 124 countries between 84.56 % and 90.12 %2 of 124 countries between 90.12 % and 95.67 %3 of 124 countries between 95.67 % and 101.23 %4 of 124 countries between 101.23 % and 106.79 %1 of 124 countries between 106.79 % and 112.35 %2 of 124 countries between 112.35 % and 117.91 %1 of 124 countries between 123.47 % and 129.02 %2 of 124 countries between 134.58 % and 140.14 %4 of 124 countries between 140.14 % and 145.70 %median 54.40 %South Africa: ahead of 27 % of the 124 countries with a published government debtSouth Africa 78.60 %12.30 %145.70 %
Half of all 124 countries sit between 36.00 % and 80.30 %. South Africa is ahead of 27 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 5 values beyond it sit in the end bars.

The neighbourhood

#CountryGovernment debtvs South Africa
89 Hungary75.20 %−3.40 pp
90 Malawi78.40 %−0.20 pp
91 South Africa78.60 %—
92 Fiji78.70 %+0.10 pp
93 Argentina80.30 %+1.70 pp

General government gross debt as a share of GDP (IMF World Economic Outlook, annual).

How to read this figure

Central government debt as a share of GDP (World Bank). General government debt (including local government and social funds) can be meaningfully higher; comparisons across countries are indicative.

Next, about South Africa

Debt per personGDP growthInflation rate
Government debt, all countries ranked →Compare South Africa with another country →Everything about South Africa →
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