Sao Tome and Principe vs South Africa: Proportion of total government spending on essential services
Sao Tome and Principe
18.1%
in 2024
South Africa
19.1%
in 2025
Sao Tome and Principe rank
31st
South Africa rank
26th
Proportion of total government spending on essential services over time
- Sao Tome and Principe
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 19.1% against 18.1% in Sao Tome and Principe, a difference of 1.0%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Sao Tome and Principe's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 23 shared years of data; in 2002 it was South Africa ahead.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 31st and South Africa ranks 26th of 196 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sao Tome and Principe | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.6% | 19.0% | 6.4% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 15.9% | 18.8% | 2.9% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 17.2% | 19.0% | 1.8% | 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, Sao Tome and Principe or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 19.1% against 18.1% in Sao Tome and Principe as of 2025.
- What is the difference in proportion of total government spending on essential services between Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
- 1.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2024.
- How do Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa rank globally for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 31st and South Africa ranks 26th of 196 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 [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.