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 1.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.8%
Change on year
down 18.8%
World rank
21st
of 44 countries
All-time high
4.9%
in 2007
All-time low
1.3%
in 2012
Years of data
20
2001–2024
Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.8% for expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in 2024.
That represents a change of down 18.8% on the previous year and down 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa peaked at 4.9% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2012.
South Africa ranks 21st of 44 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1.9% | — |
| 2003 | 3.1% | +63.6% |
| 2004 | 4.4% | +41.0% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -38.8% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | +82.6% |
| 2008 | 4.4% | -11.6% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | -34.8% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -35.2% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | -26.8% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | +74.3% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | +22.3% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | -11.2% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | -10.7% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -26.8% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +8.6% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +25.0% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -13.8% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +19.2% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | -18.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.4%, 1.3× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.6%, 50% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.5% | 1.9% | 4.9% | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 1.3% | 2.9% | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 18 Kazakhstan 2.0% compare
- 19 Lao People's Democratic Republic 1.9% compare
- 20 Côte d'Ivoire 1.9% compare
- 22 Uganda 1.8% compare
- 23 Paraguay 1.7% compare
- 24 Saint Lucia 1.7% 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 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 1.8% 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 4.9% 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 1.3% in 2012.
- How does South Africa rank for expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total?
- South Africa ranks 21st out of 44 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 36.5%. 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 secondary public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release