OECD members vs South Africa: Interest payments

OECD members
4.6%
in 2023
South Africa
14.3%
in 2022
OECD members rank
32nd
South Africa rank
31st

Interest payments over time

  • OECD members
  • South Africa
5101520197219972023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 14.3% against 4.6% in OECD members, a difference of 9.7%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 3.1 times OECD members's.

Across all 51 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

OECD members ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 31st of 41 groups.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade OECD members South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 4.6% 7.7% 3.0% South Africa
1980s 8.9% 12.1% 3.2% South Africa
1990s 9.3% 17.1% 7.8% South Africa
2000s 5.7% 11.8% 6.1% South Africa
2010s 4.9% 9.4% 4.4% South Africa
2020s 3.1% 12.9% 9.8% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher interest payments, OECD members or South Africa?
South Africa, at 14.3% against 4.6% in OECD members as of 2022.
What is the difference in interest payments between OECD members and South Africa?
9.7%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for OECD members and South Africa?
51 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2022.
How do OECD members and South Africa rank globally for interest payments?
OECD members ranks 32nd 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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OECD members vs South Africa: Interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/oecd-members/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.