South Africa Health Spending
Current health expenditure as % of GDP SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
South Africa's health spending was 9.14% in 2025, ranked 40th globally. This represents a 2.6% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 2000–2025.
Overview
South Africa's health spending stood at 9.14% in 2025, a rise of +0.23% from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 9.14% by 2025. South Africa ranked 40th globally.
South Africa's health spending has displayed a moderate increase over the past quarter century, reaching an all-time high of 9.14% of its GDP in 2025. This value is slightly lower than the 9.19% recorded by Mongolia, a country with a similar economic profile, and surpasses that of Burkina Faso at 9.08%. Conversely, South Africa's health expenditure has yet to surpass the 9.41% peak achieved by Spain, a more affluent nation. The country's health spending has been on an upward trajectory since 2002, when it reached a trough of 6.68%, and has shown continuous growth since then. The sustained increase in health spending indicates a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes in South Africa. A reversal in this trend could occur if the country experiences a significant economic downturn, which would likely impact the government's ability to allocate resources to the healthcare sector.
Data & projection
| Year | Health Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 9.24% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 9.14% | - | - |
| 2025 | 9.14% | +0.23% | #40 |
| 2023 | 8.91% | +0.16% | #145 |
| 2022 | 8.75% | +0.08% | #144 |
| 2021 | 8.66% | −0.36% | #135 |
| 2020 | 9.02% | +0.78% | #142 |
| 2019 | 8.25% | +0.16% | #141 |
| 2018 | 8.08% | +0.10% | #143 |
| 2017 | 7.98% | −0.10% | #142 |
| 2016 | 8.08% | +0.03% | #141 |
| 2015 | 8.05% | +0.18% | #140 |
| 2014 | 7.87% | −0.23% | #136 |
| 2013 | 8.10% | +0.10% | #139 |
| 2012 | 8.00% | +0.06% | #140 |
| 2011 | 7.94% | +0.15% | #137 |
| 2010 | 7.79% | +0.14% | #134 |
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 health spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa's health spending was 9.14% in 2025. Ranked 40th globally. This represents a 2.6% increase from the previous year.
South Africa's health spending peaked at 9.14% in 2025.
The lowest health spending in South Africa was 6.68% in 2002.
South Africa ranks 40th globally in health spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
South Africa's health spending is projected to reach 9.14% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The health spending of South Africa in 2025 was 9.14%. This ranks 40th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_south-africa_health-spending,
title = {South Africa Health Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/south-africa/health-spending/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}