Sub-Saharan Africa · G20
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
33.0%
+5.8 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
5.26%
+2.3 pts since 1996
Healthcare · 2024
Not available
Defence · 2024
0.76%
-1.4 pts since 1995
Education · 2024
6.02%
+1.0 pts since 1996
Debt interest · 2024
5.54%
+0.3 pts since 1996
Gross debt · 2025
78.4%
of GDP · +41 pts since 2000
Population · 2025
64.7m
45.4% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for South Africa yet.
Welfare rose from 3.0% to 6.9% of GDP between 1996 and 2020, then fell to 5.3% by 2024.
Healthcare rose from 2.7% to 5.8% of GDP between 2000 and 2020, then fell to 5.5% by 2023.
Defence fell from 2.1% to 0.7% of GDP between 1995 and 2025.
Education fell from 5.0% to 4.4% of GDP between 1996 and 2003, then rose to 6.0% by 2024.
Debt interest fell from 5.2% to 2.2% of GDP between 1996 and 2008, then rose to 5.5% by 2024.
Total spending fell from 27.2% to 22.2% of GDP between 1995 and 2002, then rose to 33.0% by 2024.
Gross debt fell from 37.9% to 24.0% of GDP between 2000 and 2008, then rose to 78.4% by 2025.
Population grew from 44.5 million in 1995 to 64.7 million in 2025; the UN projects 79.2 million by 2050.