South Africa vs World: Interest payments

South Africa
14.3%
in 2022
World
5.8%
in 2022
South Africa rank
31st
World rank
30th

Interest payments over time

  • South Africa
  • World
5101520197219972022

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 14.3% against 5.8% in World, a difference of 8.5%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 2.5 times World's.

Across all 21 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 31st and World ranks 30th of 152 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa World Difference Ahead
2000s 10.4% 6.5% 3.9% South Africa
2010s 9.4% 6.0% 3.4% South Africa
2020s 12.9% 5.8% 7.0% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher interest payments, South Africa or World?
South Africa, at 14.3% against 5.8% in World as of 2022.
What is the difference in interest payments between South Africa and World?
8.5%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and World?
21 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2022.
How do South Africa and World rank globally for interest payments?
South Africa ranks 31st and World ranks 30th 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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South Africa vs World: Interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/interest-payments-percent-of-expense/south-africa/world/

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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.