Government expenditure on education, total in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Government expenditure on education, total was 15.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on education, total in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1999–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 15.4% for government expenditure on education, total in 2024.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and down 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 18.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 15.0%, in 2023.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th of 46 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 15.5% | — |
| 2000 | 15.1% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 15.7% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 16.2% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 17.4% | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 18.0% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 17.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 17.6% | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 16.9% | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 17.6% | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 17.0% | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 15.9% | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 16.5% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 17.4% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 15.4% | -11.6% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 15.4% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 15.3% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 15.0% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 15.4% | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.5% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 17.1% | 15.1% | 18.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 15.4% | 17.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.3% | 15.0% | 15.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 7 Honduras 23.2% compare
- 8 Bhutan 22.2% compare
- 9 Uzbekistan 22.1% compare
- 10 Kazakhstan 22.0% compare
- 11 Botswana 21.5% compare
- 12 Senegal 20.9% compare
- 13 Dominican Republic 20.9% compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Sub-Saharan Africa was 15.4% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.0% in 2023.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 10th out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.