Sierra Leone vs South Africa: Total government debt

Sierra Leone
986.59 billion current LCU
in 2007
South Africa
1.53 trillion current LCU
in 2008
Sierra Leone rank
18th
South Africa rank
15th

Total government debt over time

  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
01.0T2.0T3.0T196719872008

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.53 trillion current LCU against 986.59 billion current LCU in Sierra Leone, a difference of 538.74 billion current LCU.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.5 times Sierra Leone's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 23 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Africa ahead.

Sierra Leone ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 15th of 44 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Sierra Leone averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sierra Leone South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 3.68 billion current LCU 138.90 billion current LCU 135.23 billion current LCU South Africa
1990s 1.31 trillion current LCU 379.11 billion current LCU 929.13 billion current LCU Sierra Leone
2000s 910.43 billion current LCU 826.45 billion current LCU 83.98 billion current LCU Sierra Leone

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total government debt, Sierra Leone or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1.53 trillion current LCU against 986.59 billion current LCU in Sierra Leone as of 2008.
What is the difference in total government debt between Sierra Leone and South Africa?
538.74 billion current LCU, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sierra Leone and South Africa?
23 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2007.
How do Sierra Leone and South Africa rank globally for total government debt?
Sierra Leone ranks 18th 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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Sierra Leone vs South Africa: Total government debt. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank country economists. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://science-tech.statizoid.com/compare/total-government-debt-current-lcu/sierra-leone/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.