Bhutan vs South Africa: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP
Bhutan
5.8%
in 2023
South Africa
6.0%
in 2024
Bhutan rank
22nd
South Africa rank
19th
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP over time
- Bhutan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6.0% against 5.8% in Bhutan, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 15 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Bhutan ahead.
Bhutan ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 19th of 185 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Bhutan averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bhutan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.9% | 4.2% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 5.2% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 0.0% | Bhutan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp, Bhutan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 6.0% against 5.8% in Bhutan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp between Bhutan and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bhutan and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do Bhutan and South Africa rank globally for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Bhutan ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 19th of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Initial government expenditure on 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