SDG: World vs South Africa: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
SDG: World
12.7%
in 2023
South Africa
19.1%
in 2025
SDG: World rank
24th
South Africa rank
26th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- SDG: World
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 19.1% against 12.7% in SDG: World, a difference of 6.4%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.5 times SDG: World's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 2000 it was SDG: World ahead.
SDG: World ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 26th of 43 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | SDG: World | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.9% | 16.1% | 2.2% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 13.7% | 18.8% | 5.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 19.2% | 6.4% | 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, SDG: World or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 19.1% against 12.7% in SDG: World as of 2025.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between SDG: World and South Africa?
- 6.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for SDG: World and South Africa?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do SDG: World and South Africa rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- SDG: World ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 26th of 43 groups.
- 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