Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 14.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 14.7%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 17.9% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2019.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 8th out of 43 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.3% | — |
| 2001 | 15.7% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 15.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 16.2% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 17.3% | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 17.1% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 17.9% | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 17.1% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | -11.4% |
| 2012 | 15.9% | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 16.4% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 16.2% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 16.2% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 16.4% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 15.1% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 15.0% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 14.8% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 14.7% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.7% | 15.3% | 17.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 14.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 191.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12.63 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.47 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8202 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 97.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 14.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 2008.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2019.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 8th out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release