New Zealand vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP
New Zealand
1.2%
in 2023
South Africa
1.2%
in 2024
New Zealand rank
40th
South Africa rank
41st
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP over time
- New Zealand
- South Africa
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 1.2% against 1.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 17 shared years of data; in 1987 it was South Africa ahead.
New Zealand ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 41st of 173 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.1% | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 0.9% | 0.8% | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 0.8% | 0.8% | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.1% | New Zealand |
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, New Zealand or South Africa?
- New Zealand, at 1.2% against 1.2% in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp between New Zealand and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2023.
- How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
- New Zealand ranks 40th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release