India vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP

India
1.1%
in 2013
South Africa
1.1%
in 2019
India rank
49th
South Africa rank
46th

Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP over time

  • India
  • South Africa
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How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.1% against 1.1% in India, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 11 shared years of data; in 1999 it was South Africa ahead.

India ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 46th of 160 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade India South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 0.8% 0.9% 0.1% South Africa
2000s 0.8% 0.7% 0.1% India
2010s 1.2% 0.7% 0.5% India

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp, India or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1.1% against 1.1% in India as of 2019.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp between India and South Africa?
0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for India and South Africa?
11 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2013.
How do India and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp?
India ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 46th of 160 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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India vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-as-percent-of-gdp-percent/india/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
160 places, 3,221 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on tertiary education (current, capital, and transfers), expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. Divide total government expenditure for a given level of education (ex. primary, secondary, or all levels combined) by the GDP, and multiply by 100. A higher percentage of GDP spent on education shows a higher government priority for education, but also a higher capacity of the government to raise revenues for public spending, in relation to the size of the country's economy. When interpreting this indicator however, one should keep in mind in some countries, the private sector and/or households may fund a higher proportion of total funding for education, thus making government expenditure appear lower than in other countries. Limitations: In some instances data on total public 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/