South Africa Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) (2024)
South Africa's Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP): 6 % of GDP in 2024, -0.1pp YoY. World Bank (SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS), 1987–2024.
South Africa (2024)
6
% of GDP
-0.1pp YoY
YoY Change
-0.1pp
percentage points
Trend
down
Series length
34
years of data
Data
| Year | % of GDP | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | -0.1pp |
| 2023 | 6.1 | -0.1pp |
| 2022 | 6.2 | -0.4pp |
| 2021 | 6.6 | +0.4pp |
| 2020 | 6.2 | +0.3pp |
| 2019 | 5.9 | +0.3pp |
| 2018 | 5.6 | unchanged |
| 2017 | 5.6 | +0.2pp |
| 2016 | 5.4 | -0.1pp |
| 2015 | 5.5 | unchanged |
| 2014 | 5.5 | +0.1pp |
| 2013 | 5.4 | -0.1pp |
| 2012 | 5.5 | +0.2pp |
| 2011 | 5.3 | +0.2pp |
| 2010 | 5.1 | +0.3pp |
| 2009 | 4.8 | +0.4pp |
| 2008 | 4.4 | unchanged |
| 2007 | 4.4 | -0.1pp |
| 2006 | 4.5 | unchanged |
| 2005 | 4.5 | unchanged |
About this Dataset
South Africa recorded 6 % of GDP in 2024. The latest change was -0.1pp. Across 1987–2024 the series ranges from 4.4 in 2003 to 6.6 in 2021.
This page tracks government expenditure on education as a share of GDP in South Africa from 1990 to present. Education spending shapes future human capital quality, productivity growth, and workforce skill depth.
Data sourced from World Bank via Open Data API. Values use World Bank standardised methodology intended for cross-country comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
This page tracks government expenditure on education as a share of GDP in South Africa from 1990 to present. Education spending shapes future human capital quality, productivity growth, and workforce skill depth. It is published by World Bank and updated annually.
The most recent observation covers 2024. World Bank typically publishes this series with a lag of several months after the reference period. The series runs 1987–2024 (34 observations).
The series peaked at 6.6 % of GDP in 2021 and reached its lowest recorded value of 4.4 in 2003. The latest reading of 6 in 2024 represents a change of -0.1pp.