Mozambique vs South Africa: Government spending as share of GDP
Mozambique
33.2%
in 2024
South Africa
33.0%
in 2024
Mozambique rank
63rd
South Africa rank
66th
Government spending as share of GDP over time
- Mozambique
- South Africa
How they compare
Mozambique currently reports 33.2% against 33.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 45 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.
Mozambique ranks 63rd and South Africa ranks 66th of 151 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Mozambique averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mozambique | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 25.4% | 25.5% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 18.4% | 28.4% | 10.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 19.8% | 24.2% | 4.4% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 30.7% | 29.5% | 1.2% | Mozambique |
| 2020s | 33.1% | 32.9% | 0.2% | Mozambique |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending as share of gdp, Mozambique or South Africa?
- Mozambique, at 33.2% against 33.0% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending as share of gdp between Mozambique and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with Mozambique ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mozambique and South Africa?
- 45 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2024.
- How do Mozambique and South Africa rank globally for government spending as share of gdp?
- Mozambique ranks 63rd and South Africa ranks 66th of 151 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (2025) – 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.