Kenya vs South Africa: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
Kenya
18.4%
in 2023
South Africa
18.6%
in 2022
Kenya rank
21st
South Africa rank
19th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 18.6% against 18.4% in Kenya, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Kenya ahead.
Kenya ranks 21st and South Africa ranks 19th of 123 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.9% | 16.4% | 10.5% | Kenya |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 18.5% | 1.3% | Kenya |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 18.7% | 2.4% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher expenditure on education as a percentage of total government, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 18.6% against 18.4% in Kenya as of 2022.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between Kenya and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2022.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Kenya ranks 21st 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