No, on strict technical grounds they wouldn't mean the same. Public servant in many countries stands synonymous with a civil servant, which would include bureaucrats hired on professional merit. Public officials would include people who perform from a position of jurisdiction and authority which also would include elected career politicians, slacking to not telling these two apart here could be a blunderous oversight, as being a public official has distinct legal bearings affecting the outcome of legal proceedings. Australian Public Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Public_Service Legal definitions for Public Officials https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=082ec027-2665-4e24-be1e-b338c175051d

A public official would technically be anyone who works in the public sector (wages paid for by taxes) with some level of authority. However, it's generally used only for someone working as part of the government (including low-level administrators, not just the politicians). A public servant would be anyone whose wages are paid for by taxes, so would include public officials, policemen, nurses, teachers, sanitation workers, etc.

I think they can be used interchangably in a lot of cases. Personally, I would tend to say public servant, epescially when referring to people such as teachers, police officers, etc. who interact with the public directly. I don't tend to say "public official" but if I did, I would probably be referring to people in government, etc, who hold some degree of authority.