Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Interest payments

Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
5.8%
in 2023
South Africa
14.3%
in 2022
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank
29th
South Africa rank
31st

Interest payments over time

  • Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
  • South Africa
05101520197219972023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 14.3% against 5.8% in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), a difference of 8.5%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 2.5 times Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s.

Across all 15 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 31st of 41 groups.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 1.9% 7.5% 5.6% South Africa
2010s 4.0% 9.4% 5.4% South Africa
2020s 4.5% 12.9% 8.4% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher interest payments, Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) or South Africa?
South Africa, at 14.3% against 5.8% in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) as of 2022.
What is the difference in interest payments between Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) and South Africa?
8.5%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) and South Africa?
15 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2022.
How do Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) and South Africa rank globally for interest payments?
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 31st of 41 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Interest payments (% of expense). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/europe-and-central-asia-excluding-high-income/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
193 places, 5,277 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.