Costa Rica vs South Africa: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
Costa Rica
18.0%
in 2023
South Africa
18.6%
in 2022
Costa Rica rank
22nd
South Africa rank
19th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 18.6% against 18.0% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.6%.
Across all 23 years both countries report, Costa Rica has been ahead every year.
Costa Rica ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 19th of 123 countries.
Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.8% | 16.4% | 11.4% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 27.8% | 18.1% | 9.8% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 19.5% | 18.7% | 0.8% | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher expenditure on education as a percentage of total government, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 18.6% against 18.0% in Costa Rica as of 2022.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 0.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2022.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Costa Rica ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 19th of 123 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release