Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa
South Africa: Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total was 1.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa stood at 1.2%.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa peaked at 4.8% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2021.
That places South Africa 26th out of 45 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1.8% | — |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +14.4% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +21.2% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +23.5% |
| 2007 | 4.8% | +54.8% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | -41.7% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | +7.3% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -34.4% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | +9.1% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | -23.1% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -24.7% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | +26.5% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -8.5% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | -24.4% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | +15.5% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 1.2× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.9%, 64% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.8% | 1.8% | 4.8% | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa?
- Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa was 1.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 2007.
- What is the lowest expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
- Is expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release