Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita was 17.9% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 1999–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP per capita.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 17.9% for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in 2018.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 19.0% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 12.5%, in 2003.
That places South Africa 41st out of 122 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 14.4% | — |
| 2000 | 14.0% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 13.8% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 13.7% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 12.5% | -8.8% |
| 2004 | 12.8% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 13.8% | +7.7% |
| 2006 | 15.0% | +8.4% |
| 2007 | 14.1% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 13.3% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 14.8% | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 17.2% | +15.9% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 19.0% | +8.0% |
| 2014 | 17.8% | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 17.6% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 17.9% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.4% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 13.8% | 12.5% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.9% | 17.2% | 19.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.65 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 17.9% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.5% in 2003.
- How does South Africa rank for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 41st out of 122 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
GDP per capita data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.