Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in South Africa
South Africa: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 6.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
6.0%
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
19th
of 185 countries
All-time high
6.2%
in 2020
All-time low
3.8%
in 2002
Years of data
34
1987–2024
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in South Africa, 1987–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in South Africa stood at 6.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 17.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in South Africa peaked at 6.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2002.
South Africa ranks 19th of 185 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 4.8% | — |
| 1988 | 4.9% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 4.4% | -8.5% |
| 1990 | 4.7% | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 5.3% | +12.0% |
| 1993 | 5.4% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 5.0% | -4.7% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | +4.8% |
| 2000 | 4.3% | -18.5% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 3.8% | -8.3% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 4.1% | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 4.0% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | -3.5% |
| 2008 | 3.9% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 4.4% | +12.7% |
| 2010 | 4.7% | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 5.3% | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 5.5% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 4.9% | -10.9% |
| 2014 | 5.1% | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | +7.0% |
| 2016 | 5.4% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 5.3% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 5.6% | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 6.2% | +10.7% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | -5.8% |
| 2022 | 5.8% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 6.0% | +3.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 6.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.7%, 1.6× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 6.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.5%, 1.7× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 3 |
| 1990s | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.4% | 6 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 5.8% | 6.2% | 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 initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in South Africa?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in South Africa was 6.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- South Africa ranks 19th out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.5%. 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, published as part of Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release