Share of government spending going to interest payments in South Africa
South Africa: Share of government spending going to interest payments was 14.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Share of government spending going to interest payments in South Africa, 1972–2022
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 14.3% for share of government spending going to interest payments in 2022.
The figure is up 10.6% on the previous year and up 64.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of government spending going to interest payments in South Africa peaked at 19.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 1975.
South Africa ranks 31st of 152 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Share of government spending going to interest payments in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 8.0% | — |
| 1973 | 8.6% | +8.6% |
| 1974 | 6.8% | -20.8% |
| 1975 | 6.2% | -9.9% |
| 1976 | 7.0% | +13.9% |
| 1977 | 7.5% | +6.5% |
| 1978 | 8.4% | +12.7% |
| 1979 | 8.8% | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 9.1% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 10.1% | +11.0% |
| 1982 | 10.3% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | +6.1% |
| 1984 | 12.7% | +15.8% |
| 1985 | 13.1% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 13.1% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 13.4% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 13.6% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 15.1% | +10.9% |
| 1990 | 14.3% | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 15.5% | +8.6% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | -2.4% |
| 1993 | 15.6% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 16.8% | +7.8% |
| 1995 | 18.3% | +8.8% |
| 1996 | 17.6% | -3.6% |
| 1997 | 19.4% | +10.4% |
| 1998 | 19.7% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 18.9% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 18.1% | -4.3% |
| 2001 | 16.8% | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 14.6% | -13.4% |
| 2003 | 12.6% | -13.7% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | -8.0% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 9.9% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 8.7% | -12.0% |
| 2008 | 7.7% | -11.2% |
| 2009 | 7.3% | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 7.7% | +5.0% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 8.7% | +10.1% |
| 2013 | 8.7% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 9.2% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 9.1% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 10.2% | +12.3% |
| 2017 | 10.6% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 10.6% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 11.0% | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 11.4% | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 12.9% | +13.1% |
| 2022 | 14.3% | +10.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.7% | 6.2% | 8.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | 12.1% | 9.1% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.1% | 14.3% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 7.3% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.4% | 7.7% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.9% | 11.4% | 14.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 28 Guinea-Bissau 14.9% compare
- 29 Iceland 14.7% compare
- 30 Fiji 14.6% compare
- 32 Côte d'Ivoire 14.1% compare
- 33 Namibia 14.1% compare
- 34 El Salvador 14.1% compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of government spending going to interest payments in South Africa?
- Share of government spending going to interest payments in South Africa was 14.3% in 2022, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 1998.
- What is the lowest share of government spending going to interest payments recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 1975.
- How does South Africa rank for share of government spending going to interest payments?
- South Africa ranks 31st out of 152 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of government spending going to interest payments rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Interest expenditures on government debt, as share of total central government expenditures. Interest expenditures on government debt include payments on long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments.