China vs South Africa: Government spending as share of GDP
China
32.9%
in 2024
South Africa
33.0%
in 2024
China rank
67th
South Africa rank
66th
Government spending as share of GDP over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 33.0% against 32.9% in China, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 43 shared years of data; in 1982 it was China ahead.
China ranks 67th and South Africa ranks 66th of 151 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24.7% | 26.3% | 1.6% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 13.6% | 28.4% | 14.8% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 18.8% | 24.2% | 5.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 29.6% | 29.5% | 0.2% | China |
| 2020s | 33.0% | 32.9% | 0.1% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending as share of gdp, China or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 33.0% against 32.9% in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending as share of gdp between China and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 43 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2024.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for government spending as share of gdp?
- China ranks 67th and South Africa ranks 66th of 151 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Sum of all the money spent by the government on goods and services, as a percentage of GDP. It includes interest paid on government debt.