Initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in South Africa
South Africa: Initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of was 7.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in South Africa, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 7.8% for initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and up 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in South Africa peaked at 24.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1999.
That places South Africa 85th out of 145 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.1% | — |
| 2000 | 13.6% | +23955.3% |
| 2001 | 24.8% | +83.0% |
| 2016 | 5.6% | -77.5% |
| 2017 | 5.9% | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 5.5% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 6.0% | +8.6% |
| 2020 | 7.1% | +19.2% |
| 2021 | 7.8% | +10.0% |
| 2022 | 7.8% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 7.9% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 7.8% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 19.2% | 13.6% | 24.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.7% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 7.1% | 7.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 82 Burkina Faso 8.4% compare
- 83 Central African Republic 7.9% compare
- 84 Jamaica 7.9% compare
- 86 Egypt 7.4% compare
- 87 Kazakhstan 7.3% compare
- 88 Vanuatu 7.2% 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 initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in South Africa?
- Initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of in South Africa was 7.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 24.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1999.
- How does South Africa rank for initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of?
- South Africa ranks 85th out of 145 countries with data for 2024.
- Is initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government funding per pre-primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release