Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP in South Africa

South Africa: Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP was 27.8% in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
27.8%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
28th
of 50 countries
All-time high
28.2%
in 2010
All-time low
16.0%
in 1994
Years of data
18
1994–2011

Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP in South Africa, 1994–2011

01020301994200220111994: 16 % of GDP1995: 16.8 % of GDP1996: 18.1 % of GDP1997: 20.2 % of GDP1998: 18.5 % of GDP1999: 18.2 % of GDP2000: 18.9 % of GDP2001: 20.5 % of GDP2002: 27.9 % of GDP2003: 21.7 % of GDP2004: 19 % of GDP2005: 19.4 % of GDP2006: 21.5 % of GDP2007: 24.2 % of GDP2008: 24.8 % of GDP2009: 27.3 % of GDP2010: 28.2 % of GDP2011: 27.8 % of GDP

Source: World Bank, Global Development Finance. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 27.8% for debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp in 2011.

The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and up 35.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp in South Africa peaked at 28.2% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 16.0%, in 1994.

That places South Africa 28th out of 50 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP (% of GDP) in South Africa, 1994 to 2011.
Year % of GDP Change
1994 16.0%
1995 16.8% +5.1%
1996 18.1% +8.0%
1997 20.2% +11.5%
1998 18.5% -8.7%
1999 18.2% -1.4%
2000 18.9% +4.0%
2001 20.5% +8.5%
2002 27.9% +35.8%
2003 21.7% -22.0%
2004 19.0% -12.7%
2005 19.4% +2.5%
2006 21.5% +10.3%
2007 24.2% +13.0%
2008 24.8% +2.5%
2009 27.3% +9.9%
2010 28.2% +3.1%
2011 27.8% -1.2%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 27.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.4%, 1.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 27.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.4%, 98% of the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 18.0% 16.0% 20.2% 6
2000s 22.5% 18.9% 27.9% 10
2010s 28.0% 27.8% 28.2% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 25 Ghana 28.8% compare
  2. 26 Ethiopia 28.4% compare
  3. 27 Madagascar 27.9% compare
  4. 29 Mali 27.1% compare
  5. 30 Burundi 27.0% compare
  6. 31 Central African Republic 26.1% compare

See the full ranking of 55 places →

More external debt data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp in South Africa?
Debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp in South Africa was 27.8% in 2011, according to World Bank, Global Development Finance.
What is the highest debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 28.2% in 2010.
What is the lowest debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 16.0% in 1994.
How does South Africa rank for debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp?
South Africa ranks 28th out of 50 countries with data for 2011.
Is debt outstanding and disbursed, total to gdp rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from World Bank, Global Development Finance, published as part of Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Global Development Finance. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/stat/debt-outstanding-and-disbursed-total-to-gdp-percent-of-gdp/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Debt outstanding and disbursed, Total to GDP (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
World Bank, Global Development Finance
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
55 places, 2,062 data points, 1970–2011
Last refreshed

Total external debt is debt owed to nonresidents repayable in currency, goods, or services. Total external debt is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of IMF credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. Data expressed as a percentage of GDP at market prices.