Kenya vs South Africa: Total government debt

Kenya
1.18 trillion current LCU
in 2011
South Africa
1.53 trillion current LCU
in 2008
Kenya rank
16th
South Africa rank
15th

Total government debt over time

  • Kenya
  • South Africa
0500.0B1.0T1.5T196719892011

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.53 trillion current LCU against 1.18 trillion current LCU in Kenya, a difference of 350.21 billion current LCU.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times Kenya's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 22 shared years of data; in 1979 it was South Africa ahead.

Kenya ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 15th of 44 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Kenya South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 0 current LCU 35.20 billion current LCU 35.20 billion current LCU South Africa
1980s 29.90 billion current LCU 96.02 billion current LCU 66.12 billion current LCU South Africa
1990s 469.50 billion current LCU 443.31 billion current LCU 26.19 billion current LCU Kenya
2000s 670.05 billion current LCU 904.11 billion current LCU 234.05 billion current LCU South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total government debt, Kenya or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1.53 trillion current LCU against 1.18 trillion current LCU in Kenya as of 2008.
What is the difference in total government debt between Kenya and South Africa?
350.21 billion current LCU, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
22 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2008.
How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for total government debt?
Kenya ranks 16th and South Africa ranks 15th of 44 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank country economists, published as Total government debt (current LCU). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Kenya vs South Africa: Total government debt. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank country economists. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/total-government-debt-current-lcu/kenya/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total government debt (current LCU)
Unit
current LCU
Source
World Bank country economists
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
44 places, 1,020 data points, 1965–2011
Last refreshed

Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Data are in current local currency.