Malaysia vs South Africa: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
Malaysia
18.9%
in 2023
South Africa
18.6%
in 2022
Malaysia rank
17th
South Africa rank
19th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 18.9% against 18.6% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 2002 it was Malaysia ahead.
Malaysia ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 19th of 123 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.7% | 16.0% | 7.8% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 18.1% | 4.1% | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 18.8% | 0.2% | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher expenditure on education as a percentage of total government, Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 18.9% against 18.6% in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 0.3%, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2022.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Malaysia ranks 17th 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