Iceland vs South Africa: Interest payments

Iceland
14.7%
in 2023
South Africa
14.3%
in 2022
Iceland rank
29th
South Africa rank
31st

Interest payments over time

  • Iceland
  • South Africa
0102030197219972023

How they compare

Iceland currently reports 14.7% against 14.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1972 it was South Africa ahead.

Iceland ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 31st of 152 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 5.9% 7.7% 1.7% South Africa
1980s 9.0% 12.1% 3.1% South Africa
1990s 10.7% 17.1% 6.4% South Africa
2000s 14.1% 11.8% 2.3% Iceland
2010s 18.9% 9.4% 9.5% Iceland
2020s 11.8% 12.9% 1.1% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher interest payments, Iceland or South Africa?
Iceland, at 14.7% against 14.3% in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in interest payments between Iceland and South Africa?
0.4%, with Iceland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
51 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2022.
How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for interest payments?
Iceland ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 31st of 152 countries.
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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Iceland vs South Africa: Interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/iceland/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.