South Africa vs Syria: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
South Africa
19.1%
in 2025
Syria
19.2%
in 2009
South Africa rank
26th
Syria rank
25th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- South Africa
- Syria
How they compare
Syria currently reports 19.2% against 19.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 12 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Syria ahead.
South Africa ranks 26th and Syria ranks 25th of 197 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Syria in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| 1990s | 0.0% | 15.0% | 15.0% | Syria |
| 2000s | 19.0% | 18.5% | 0.6% | 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, South Africa or Syria?
- Syria, at 19.2% against 19.1% in South Africa as of 2009.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between South Africa and Syria?
- 0.1%, with Syria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Syria?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2009.
- How do South Africa and Syria rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- South Africa ranks 26th and Syria ranks 25th 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