South Africa Education Spending
Government expenditure on education as % of GDP SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS
Overview
South Africa's education spending stood at 5.99% in 2025, a decline of +0.04% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 5.99% by 2025. South Africa ranked 25th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Education Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 5.84% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 5.91% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 5.99% | - | - |
| 2025 | 5.99% | −0.04% | #25 |
| 2024 | 6.02% | −0.10% | #21 |
| 2023 | 6.12% | −0.03% | #108 |
| 2022 | 6.16% | −0.40% | #144 |
| 2021 | 6.56% | +0.38% | #152 |
| 2020 | 6.17% | +0.26% | #144 |
| 2019 | 5.91% | +0.27% | #142 |
| 2018 | 5.64% | +0.05% | #142 |
| 2017 | 5.60% | +0.15% | #142 |
| 2016 | 5.44% | −0.04% | #125 |
| 2015 | 5.48% | −0.01% | #127 |
| 2014 | 5.49% | +0.14% | #124 |
| 2013 | 5.35% | −0.17% | #114 |
| 2012 | 5.52% | +0.23% | #112 |
| 2011 | 5.29% | +0.15% | #105 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
South Africa matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1994. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw education spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa's education spending was 5.99% in 2025. Ranked 25th globally. This represents a 0.6% decrease from the previous year.
South Africa's education spending peaked at 6.56% in 2021.
The lowest education spending in South Africa was 4.35% in 2003.
South Africa ranks 25th globally in education spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
South Africa's education spending is projected to reach 5.99% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The education spending of South Africa in 2025 was 5.99%. This ranks 25th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_south-africa_education-spending-gdp,
title = {South Africa Education Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/south-africa/education-spending-gdp},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}