Costa Rica vs South Africa: Interest payments

Costa Rica
16.6%
in 2024
South Africa
18.2%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
26th
South Africa rank
23rd

Interest payments over time

  • Costa Rica
  • South Africa
510152025197219982024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 18.2% against 16.6% in Costa Rica, a difference of 1.6%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Costa Rica's.

The two have swapped places 13 times across 52 shared years of data; in 1973 it was Costa Rica ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 155 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Costa Rica South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 7.6% 7.1% 0.5% Costa Rica
1980s 9.8% 12.7% 2.9% South Africa
1990s 17.0% 19.8% 2.8% South Africa
2000s 15.5% 12.2% 3.3% Costa Rica
2010s 10.9% 10.8% 0.1% Costa Rica
2020s 16.1% 16.3% 0.3% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher interest payments, Costa Rica or South Africa?
South Africa, at 18.2% against 16.6% in Costa Rica as of 2024.
What is the difference in interest payments between Costa Rica and South Africa?
1.6%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
52 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2024.
How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for interest payments?
Costa Rica ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 155 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Interest payments (% of revenue). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Costa Rica vs South Africa: Interest payments. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/interest-payments-percent-of-revenue/costa-rica/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Interest payments (% of revenue)
Unit
% of revenue
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,564 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 a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.