Iceland vs South Africa: General government total expenditure
Iceland
2.20 trillion current LCU
in 2025
South Africa
2.59 trillion current LCU
in 2025
Iceland rank
62nd
South Africa rank
59th
General government total expenditure over time
- Iceland
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.59 trillion current LCU against 2.20 trillion current LCU in Iceland, a difference of 393.68 billion current LCU.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Iceland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 46 shared years of data; in 1980 it was Iceland ahead.
Iceland ranks 62nd and South Africa ranks 59th of 195 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Iceland averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 52.59 billion current LCU | 0 current LCU | 52.59 billion current LCU | Iceland |
| 1990s | 209.98 billion current LCU | 0 current LCU | 209.98 billion current LCU | Iceland |
| 2000s | 548.56 billion current LCU | 453.39 billion current LCU | 95.18 billion current LCU | Iceland |
| 2010s | 1.04 trillion current LCU | 1.28 trillion current LCU | 244.30 billion current LCU | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.87 trillion current LCU | 2.23 trillion current LCU | 357.96 billion current LCU | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher general government total expenditure, Iceland or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.59 trillion current LCU against 2.20 trillion current LCU in Iceland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in general government total expenditure between Iceland and South Africa?
- 393.68 billion current LCU, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and South Africa?
- 46 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2025.
- How do Iceland and South Africa rank globally for general government total expenditure?
- Iceland ranks 62nd and South Africa ranks 59th of 195 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as General government total expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release