Australia vs South Africa: Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita

Australia
19.3%
in 2016
South Africa
17.9%
in 2018
Australia rank
38th
South Africa rank
41st

Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita over time

  • Australia
  • South Africa
05101520199520062018

How they compare

Australia currently reports 19.3% against 17.9% in South Africa, a difference of 1.4%.

That makes Australia's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Australia ahead.

Australia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 41st of 122 countries.

Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Australia South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 17.9% 14.2% 3.7% Australia
2010s 19.7% 17.9% 1.8% Australia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita, Australia or South Africa?
Australia, at 19.3% against 17.9% in South Africa as of 2016.
What is the difference in share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita between Australia and South Africa?
1.4%, with Australia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2014.
How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita?
Australia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 41st of 122 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs South Africa: Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-per-primary-student-vs-gdp-per-capita/australia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita
Unit
% of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
122 places, 1,482 data points, 1995–2018
Last refreshed

GDP per capita data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.