What is the difference in government expenditure on education, us$ between Poland and South Africa?

44 millions, with Poland ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Poland and South Africa?

18 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2017.

Where does this data come from?

UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on education, US$ (millions). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Poland vs South Africa: Government expenditure on education, US$

Poland

24,001 millions

in 2017

South Africa

23,957 millions

in 2019

Poland rank

23rd

South Africa rank

24th

Government expenditure on education, US$ over time

Poland
South Africa

How they compare

Poland currently reports 24,001 millions against 23,957 millions in South Africa, a difference of 44 millions.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 18 shared years of data; in 1991 it was South Africa ahead.

Poland ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 24th of 174 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Poland averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Poland	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1990s	6,294 millions	7,828 millions	1,534 millions	South Africa
2000s	15,902 millions	10,291 millions	5,610 millions	Poland
2010s	23,294 millions	18,706 millions	4,588 millions	Poland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on education, us$, Poland or South Africa?: Poland, at 24,001 millions against 23,957 millions in South Africa as of 2017.
What is the difference in government expenditure on education, us$ between Poland and South Africa?: 44 millions, with Poland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Poland and South Africa?: 18 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2017.
How do Poland and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on education, us$?: Poland ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 24th of 174 countries.
Where does this data come from?: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on education, US$ (millions). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Poland vs South Africa: Government expenditure on education, US$. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-education-us-millions/poland/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Government expenditure on education, US$ (millions)
Unit: millions
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 174 places, 3,881 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed: 21 August 2026

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) in millions US$ (nominal value). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. Total government expenditure for a given level of education (e.g. primary, secondary, or all levels combined) in national currency is converted to US$. Limitations: In some instances data on total government expenditure on education refers only to the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries which may also spend a part of their budget on educational activities. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/