Malta vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP

Malta
1.2%
in 2022
South Africa
1.2%
in 2024
Malta rank
38th
South Africa rank
41st

Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP over time

  • Malta
  • South Africa
0.250.50.7511.21.5197119972024

How they compare

Malta currently reports 1.2% against 1.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 21 shared years of data; in 1987 it was South Africa ahead.

Malta ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 41st of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Malta averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malta South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 0.4% 1.2% 0.8% South Africa
1990s 0.8% 1.3% 0.5% South Africa
2000s 0.9% 0.6% 0.3% Malta
2010s 1.3% 0.7% 0.6% Malta
2020s 1.2% 1.3% 0.1% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp, Malta or South Africa?
Malta, at 1.2% against 1.2% in South Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp between Malta and South Africa?
0.0%, with Malta ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and South Africa?
21 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2022.
How do Malta and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
Malta ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 41st of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malta vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/malta/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
173 places, 3,953 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release