Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa
South Africa: Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public was 97.1% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
97.1%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
25th
of 125 countries
All-time high
97.9%
in 2003
All-time low
87.2%
in 2005
Years of data
16
2003–2024
Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa stood at 97.1%.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa peaked at 97.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 87.2%, in 2005.
South Africa ranks 25th of 125 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 97.9% | — |
| 2005 | 87.2% | -10.9% |
| 2006 | 96.5% | +10.7% |
| 2007 | 96.5% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 96.9% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 96.2% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 96.7% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 94.7% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 95.0% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 95.1% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 95.8% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 96.0% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 96.5% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 96.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 96.7% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 97.1% | +0.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 97.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.7%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 97.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 91.6%, 1.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 95.2% | 87.2% | 97.9% | 6 |
| 2010s | 95.4% | 94.7% | 96.7% | 5 |
| 2020s | 96.6% | 96.0% | 97.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 22 Palestine, State of 97.8% compare
- 23 Togo 97.6% compare
- 24 Serbia 97.5% compare
- 26 Costa Rica 97.1% compare
- 27 Malawi 96.9% compare
- 28 Madagascar 96.9% compare
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa?
- Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in South Africa was 97.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 97.9% in 2003.
- What is the lowest current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 87.2% in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public?
- South Africa ranks 25th out of 125 countries with data for 2024.
- Is current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release