Teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa
South Africa: Teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in was 65.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa stood at 65.0%. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa peaked at 86.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 65.0%, in 2024.
That places South Africa 41st out of 82 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 86.8% | — |
| 2004 | 83.5% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 79.9% | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 75.1% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 78.8% | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 73.2% | -7.1% |
| 2009 | 74.5% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 74.3% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 74.5% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 72.2% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 72.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 73.9% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 74.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 72.8% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 73.8% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 74.3% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 69.8% | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 67.5% | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 68.0% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 65.7% | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 65.0% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78.8% | 73.2% | 86.8% | 7 |
| 2010s | 73.6% | 72.2% | 74.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 67.2% | 65.0% | 69.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 38 Turks and Caicos Islands 67.0% compare
- 39 Andorra 66.8% compare
- 40 Argentina 65.2% compare
- 42 Malaysia 64.5% compare
- 43 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 64.0% compare
- 44 San Marino 63.6% 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 teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa?
- Teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in in South Africa was 65.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 86.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.0% in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in?
- South Africa ranks 41st out of 82 countries with data for 2024.
- Is teaching staff compensation as a percentage of total expenditure in rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of 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