Expenditure on secondary education in South Africa
South Africa: Expenditure on secondary education was 30.8% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on secondary education in South Africa, 1999–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 30.8% for expenditure on secondary education in 2018.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on secondary education in South Africa peaked at 35.6% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 29.4%, in 2017.
South Africa ranks 90th of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.
Expenditure on secondary education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 33.7% | — |
| 2000 | 31.3% | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 31.1% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 31.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 35.3% | +12.8% |
| 2004 | 35.6% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 32.6% | -8.6% |
| 2006 | 31.1% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 33.7% | +8.3% |
| 2008 | 31.1% | -7.6% |
| 2009 | 30.9% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 31.4% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 32.9% | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 30.3% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 30.7% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 30.7% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 29.4% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 30.8% | +4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.7% | 33.7% | 33.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 32.4% | 30.9% | 35.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 29.4% | 32.9% | 7 |
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 secondary education in South Africa?
- Expenditure on secondary education in South Africa was 30.8% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on secondary education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 35.6% in 2004.
- What is the lowest expenditure on secondary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.4% in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for expenditure on secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 90th out of 149 countries with data for 2018.
- Is expenditure on secondary education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on secondary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on secondary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.