Non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa
South Africa: Non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure was 10.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa stood at 10.7%. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 135.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa peaked at 10.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2007.
South Africa ranks 41st of 76 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5.5% | — |
| 2004 | 3.6% | -34.3% |
| 2005 | 3.4% | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 3.0% | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 7.9% | +165.6% |
| 2009 | 4.5% | -43.0% |
| 2010 | 4.0% | -11.4% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | +17.8% |
| 2012 | 4.4% | -6.4% |
| 2013 | 4.4% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 4.6% | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 5.0% | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 4.6% | -9.0% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | +85.3% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | +13.6% |
| 2022 | 8.5% | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 10.2% | +21.0% |
| 2024 | 10.7% | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.5% | 3.0% | 7.9% | 7 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 9.5% | 8.5% | 10.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 38 Austria 11.5% compare
- 39 British Virgin Islands 11.2% compare
- 40 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 10.8% compare
- 42 Costa Rica 10.5% compare
- 43 Iran, Islamic Republic of 10.5% compare
- 44 Luxembourg 10.4% 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 non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa?
- Non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in South Africa was 10.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2007.
- How does South Africa rank for non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure?
- South Africa ranks 41st out of 76 countries with data for 2024.
- Is non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 135.1%. 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 Non-teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release