{"version":1,"asset_type":"statistical_series","data_type":"time_series","slug":"za-government-debt-gdp","url":"https://apiardata.com/statistics/za-government-debt-gdp","html_url":"https://apiardata.com/statistics/za-government-debt-gdp/","title":"South Africa Central Government Debt (% of GDP) (2024)","description":"South Africa's Central Government Debt (% of GDP): 82.8 % of GDP in 2024, +3.4pp YoY. World Bank (GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS), 1990–2024.","domain":"macro","category":"Economy & Macro","keywords":["Economy & Macro","World Bank","South Africa","2024"],"publisher":"World Bank","frequency":"Annual","geography":"South Africa","temporal_coverage":"1990/2024","unit":"% of GDP","last_updated":"2026-07-26","last_updated_text":"26 July 2026","data_as_of":"2024","variable_measured":"South Africa Central Government Debt (% of GDP)","license":"https://apiardata.com/data-license","is_accessible_for_free":true,"sources":[{"name":"World Bank","url":"https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS?locations=ZA"}],"meta":[{"label":"Frequency","value":"Annual"},{"label":"Coverage","value":"1990–2024"},{"label":"Observations","value":"21"},{"label":"Geography","value":"South Africa"},{"label":"Last updated","value":"26 July 2026"}],"kpis":[{"label":"South Africa (2024)","value":"82.8","unit":"% of GDP","trend":{"direction":"up","value":"+3.4pp YoY"}},{"label":"YoY Change","value":"+3.4pp","unit":"percentage points"},{"label":"Trend","value":"up","unit":""},{"label":"Series length","value":"21","unit":"years of data"}],"series":[{"key":"value","label":"South Africa Central Government Debt (% of GDP)"}],"observation_count":21,"observations":[{"period":"1990","value":32.3971949577925},{"period":"1991","value":33.9135908287352},{"period":"1992","value":36.9022310979407},{"period":"1993","value":39.9507720898509},{"period":"1994","value":44.8169697430772},{"period":"1995","value":44.8686189886337},{"period":"1996","value":44.2298759185659},{"period":"1997","value":43.1755459966557},{"period":"1998","value":44.6542617733798},{"period":"1999","value":42.1780316027359},{"period":"2000","value":39.6390583837328},{"period":"2015","value":52.6511572360833},{"period":"2016","value":53.7387913884354},{"period":"2017","value":56.2597208390879},{"period":"2018","value":59.1023114070608},{"period":"2019","value":64.5892781351104},{"period":"2020","value":75.7255090793216},{"period":"2021","value":74.0826080051444},{"period":"2022","value":76.2333180266081},{"period":"2023","value":79.4140619824567},{"period":"2024","value":82.7627080034486}],"table":{"columns":[{"key":"year","label":"Year"},{"key":"value","label":"% of GDP"},{"key":"yoyChange","label":"Change"}],"rows":[{"year":"2024","value":"82.8","yoyChange":"+3.4pp"},{"year":"2023","value":"79.4","yoyChange":"+3.2pp"},{"year":"2022","value":"76.2","yoyChange":"+2.1pp"},{"year":"2021","value":"74.1","yoyChange":"-1.6pp"},{"year":"2020","value":"75.7","yoyChange":"+11.1pp"},{"year":"2019","value":"64.6","yoyChange":"+5.5pp"},{"year":"2018","value":"59.1","yoyChange":"+2.8pp"},{"year":"2017","value":"56.3","yoyChange":"+2.6pp"},{"year":"2016","value":"53.7","yoyChange":"+1pp"},{"year":"2015","value":"52.7","yoyChange":"+13.1pp"},{"year":"2000","value":"39.6","yoyChange":"-2.6pp"},{"year":"1999","value":"42.2","yoyChange":"-2.5pp"},{"year":"1998","value":"44.7","yoyChange":"+1.5pp"},{"year":"1997","value":"43.2","yoyChange":"-1pp"},{"year":"1996","value":"44.2","yoyChange":"-0.7pp"},{"year":"1995","value":"44.9","yoyChange":"+0.1pp"},{"year":"1994","value":"44.8","yoyChange":"+4.8pp"},{"year":"1993","value":"40.0","yoyChange":"+3.1pp"},{"year":"1992","value":"36.9","yoyChange":"+3.0pp"},{"year":"1991","value":"33.9","yoyChange":"+1.5pp"}]},"qa":[{"question":"What does this indicator measure?","answer":"This page tracks central government debt as a share of GDP in South Africa from 1990 to present. Government debt levels set the fiscal space for stimulus and directly price sovereign credit risk. It is published by World Bank and updated annually."},{"question":"How current is this data?","answer":"The most recent observation covers 2024. World Bank typically publishes this series with a lag of several months after the reference period. The series runs 1990–2024 (21 observations)."},{"question":"What is the long-term trend?","answer":"The series peaked at 82.8 % of GDP in 2024 and reached its lowest recorded value of 32.4 in 1990. The latest reading of 82.8 in 2024 represents a change of +3.4pp."}]}