Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 14.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14.7%
Change on year
down 0.6%
Rank
5th
of 19 groups
All-time high
17.9%
in 2008
All-time low
14.7%
in 2019
Years of data
24
2000–2024
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa is 14.7%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 17.9% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2019.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.3% | — |
| 2001 | 15.7% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 15.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 16.2% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 17.3% | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 17.7% | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 17.1% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 17.9% | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 17.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 17.1% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | -11.4% |
| 2012 | 15.9% | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 16.2% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 16.4% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 16.2% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 15.7% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 16.2% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 16.4% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 15.1% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 15.3% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 15.0% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 14.8% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 14.7% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.7% | 15.3% | 17.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 14.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 2 Kenya 28.5% compare
- 3 Turkmenistan 27.6% compare
- 4 Solomon Islands 25.2% compare
- 5 Namibia 24.6% compare
- 6 Morocco 23.3% compare
- 7 Bhutan 22.2% compare
- 7 Cabo Verde 13.4% compare
- 7 Viet Nam 15.4% compare
- 8 Uzbekistan 22.1% compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- 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)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary 97.1% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 5.14 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Sub-Saharan Africa was 14.7% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 2008.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2019.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 5th out of 19 groups with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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