Lower middle income vs South Africa: Government expenditure on education, total
Government expenditure on education, total over time
- Lower middle income
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 19.1% against 13.6% in Lower middle income, a difference of 5.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times Lower middle income's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 25 shared years of data; in 1999 it was Lower middle income ahead.
Lower middle income ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 26th of 46 groups.
Across the 4 decades both report, Lower middle income averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lower middle income | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.0% | 0.0% | 17.0% | Lower middle income |
| 2000s | 17.0% | 17.1% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 18.8% | 2.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 19.0% | 4.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government expenditure on education, total, Lower middle income or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 19.1% against 13.6% in Lower middle income as of 2025.
- What is the difference in government expenditure on education, total between Lower middle income and South Africa?
- 5.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lower middle income and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2024.
- How do Lower middle income and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on education, total?
- Lower middle income ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 26th of 46 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.