Which has higher expenditure on tertiary education, South Africa or Thailand?

Thailand, at 15.6% against 15.3% in South Africa as of 2013.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?

17 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2013.

Where does this data come from?

Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

South Africa vs Thailand: Expenditure on tertiary education

South Africa

15.3%

in 2018

Thailand

15.6%

in 2013

South Africa rank

113th

Thailand rank

111th

Expenditure on tertiary education over time

South Africa
Thailand

How they compare

Thailand currently reports 15.6% against 15.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 1987 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 113th and Thailand ranks 111th of 160 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Thailand in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Africa	Thailand	Difference	Ahead
1980s	26.0%	13.1%	13.0%	South Africa
1990s	19.2%	21.6%	2.4%	Thailand
2000s	13.7%	21.2%	7.5%	Thailand
2010s	12.0%	15.3%	3.4%	Thailand

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher expenditure on tertiary education, South Africa or Thailand?: Thailand, at 15.6% against 15.3% in South Africa as of 2013.
What is the difference in expenditure on tertiary education between South Africa and Thailand?: 0.3%, with Thailand ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?: 17 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2013.
How do South Africa and Thailand rank globally for expenditure on tertiary education?: South Africa ranks 113th and Thailand ranks 111th of 160 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Thailand: Expenditure on tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/south-africa/thailand/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/south-africa/thailand/">South Africa vs Thailand: Expenditure on tertiary education</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education)
Unit: % of government expenditure on education
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 197 places, 3,723 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.