South Africa vs World: Proportion of total government spending on essential services
South Africa
20.5%
in 2024
World
12.3%
in 2024
South Africa rank
8th
World rank
4th
Proportion of total government spending on essential services over time
- South Africa
- World
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 20.5% against 12.3% in World, a difference of 8.2%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.7 times World's.
Across all 6 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 8th and World ranks 4th of 129 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.2% | 15.2% | 3.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 18.1% | 15.0% | 3.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 19.6% | 13.1% | 6.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher proportion of total government spending on essential services, South Africa or World?
- South Africa, at 20.5% against 12.3% in World as of 2024.
- What is the difference in proportion of total government spending on essential services between South Africa and World?
- 8.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and World?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and World rank globally for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- South Africa ranks 8th and World ranks 4th of 129 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.