South Africa vs Sweden: Government expenditure on tertiary education, constant PPP$
South Africa
10,895 millions
in 2024
Sweden
12,340 millions
in 2022
South Africa rank
26th
Sweden rank
23rd
Government expenditure on tertiary education, constant PPP$ over time
- South Africa
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 12,340 millions against 10,895 millions in South Africa, a difference of 1,445 millions.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 27 shared years of data; in 1991 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 26th and Sweden ranks 23rd of 146 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4,573 millions | 6,021 millions | 1,448 millions | Sweden |
| 2000s | 4,056 millions | 9,203 millions | 5,147 millions | Sweden |
| 2010s | 6,272 millions | 11,373 millions | 5,101 millions | Sweden |
| 2020s | 11,124 millions | 12,570 millions | 1,446 millions | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education, constant ppp$, South Africa or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 12,340 millions against 10,895 millions in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education, constant ppp$ between South Africa and Sweden?
- 1,445 millions, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2022.
- How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education, constant ppp$?
- South Africa ranks 26th and Sweden ranks 23rd of 146 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary education, constant PPP$ (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