Malta vs South Africa: Central government spending as share of GDP
Malta
33.7%
in 2023
South Africa
33.4%
in 2022
Malta rank
44th
South Africa rank
45th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Malta
- South Africa
How they compare
Malta currently reports 33.7% against 33.4% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 50 shared years of data; in 1972 it was Malta ahead.
Malta ranks 44th and South Africa ranks 45th of 157 countries.
Malta has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malta | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.9% | 17.2% | 15.7% | Malta |
| 1980s | 28.3% | 22.8% | 5.5% | Malta |
| 1990s | 33.8% | 26.3% | 7.5% | Malta |
| 2000s | 40.2% | 25.7% | 14.6% | Malta |
| 2010s | 36.4% | 32.2% | 4.2% | Malta |
| 2020s | 37.8% | 35.3% | 2.5% | Malta |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Malta or South Africa?
- Malta, at 33.7% against 33.4% in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Malta and South Africa?
- 0.3%, with Malta ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and South Africa?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2022.
- How do Malta and South Africa rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Malta ranks 44th and South Africa ranks 45th of 157 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Central 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
Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.