Eswatini vs South Africa: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
Eswatini
19.2%
in 2025
South Africa
19.1%
in 2025
Eswatini rank
23rd
South Africa rank
26th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- Eswatini
- South Africa
How they compare
Eswatini currently reports 19.2% against 19.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Eswatini ahead.
Eswatini ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 26th of 197 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Eswatini averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eswatini | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 22.4% | 0.0% | 22.4% | Eswatini |
| 1990s | 21.4% | 0.0% | 21.4% | Eswatini |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 17.1% | 3.3% | Eswatini |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 18.8% | 0.3% | Eswatini |
| 2020s | 17.2% | 19.1% | 1.8% | 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, Eswatini or South Africa?
- Eswatini, at 19.2% against 19.1% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between Eswatini and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with Eswatini ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and South Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2025.
- How do Eswatini and South Africa rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Eswatini ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 26th of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS 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