The latest plotted observation compared with the one immediately before it.
Government · observed
Central government debt
Central government debt as a percentage of GDP where a comparable observation is available.
Latest available value82.8%
South Africa · 2024
Change from 2023+3.3 pts
One period comparison, not annualized
Data statusLatest available
Observed source series
Historical observationsGovernment debt in South Africa
82.8%2024
Explain this chart
Budget balances, Interest costs, Growth
Coverage is incomplete and central government definitions do not always capture the full public sector.
View accessible data table
| Period | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 82.8% | observed |
| 2023 | 79.4% | observed |
| 2022 | 76.2% | observed |
| 2021 | 74.1% | observed |
| 2020 | 75.7% | observed |
| 2019 | 64.6% | observed |
| 2018 | 59.1% | observed |
| 2017 | 56.3% | observed |
| 2016 | 53.7% | observed |
| 2015 | 52.7% | observed |
Why it matters
Debt affects future budgets and borrowing conditions, but its meaning depends on interest costs, currency, maturity, and economic capacity.
People often affected
- Taxpayers
- Public services
- Borrowers
- 01Budget balances
- 02Interest costs
- 03Growth
- 04Inflation
- 05Exchange rates
These are common mechanisms, not claims about what caused the latest movement.
Limits of this data
Coverage is incomplete and central government definitions do not always capture the full public sector.
Revision status: The API does not expose a revision flag for these observations. Treat recent values as revisable.
Official source
World Bank: World Development Indicators
Series GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Snapshot retrieved Aug 5, 2026. Reporting frequency: annual. Seasonal adjustment: not applicable.