Finland vs South Africa: Government expenditure on education, US$
Finland
17,868 millions
in 2022
South Africa
22,922 millions
in 2024
Finland rank
32nd
South Africa rank
30th
Government expenditure on education, US$ over time
- Finland
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 22,922 millions against 17,868 millions in Finland, a difference of 5,054 millions.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times Finland's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1987 it was Finland ahead.
Finland ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 30th of 181 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Finland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5,442 millions | 4,264 millions | 1,178 millions | Finland |
| 1990s | 7,736 millions | 7,364 millions | 371.44 millions | Finland |
| 2000s | 11,874 millions | 10,291 millions | 1,583 millions | Finland |
| 2010s | 17,509 millions | 21,294 millions | 3,785 millions | South Africa |
| 2020s | 18,431 millions | 24,030 millions | 5,599 millions | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government expenditure on education, us$, Finland or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 22,922 millions against 17,868 millions in Finland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government expenditure on education, us$ between Finland and South Africa?
- 5,054 millions, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and South Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2022.
- How do Finland and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on education, us$?
- Finland ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 30th of 181 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on education, US$ (millions). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release