South Africa vs Sweden: Government expenditure on tertiary education, PPP$

South Africa
8,471 millions
in 2019
Sweden
9,521 millions
in 2017
South Africa rank
25th
Sweden rank
23rd

Government expenditure on tertiary education, PPP$ over time

  • South Africa
  • Sweden
2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k10.0k199120052019

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 9,521 millions against 8,471 millions in South Africa, a difference of 1,050 millions.

That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 21 shared years of data; in 1991 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 25th and Sweden ranks 23rd of 145 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Sweden Difference Ahead
1990s 2,732 millions 3,207 millions 475.68 millions Sweden
2000s 3,021 millions 5,776 millions 2,755 millions Sweden
2010s 4,844 millions 8,479 millions 3,635 millions Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education, ppp$, South Africa or Sweden?
Sweden, at 9,521 millions against 8,471 millions in South Africa as of 2017.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education, ppp$ between South Africa and Sweden?
1,050 millions, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
21 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2017.
How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education, ppp$?
South Africa ranks 25th and Sweden ranks 23rd of 145 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary education, PPP$ (millions). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Sweden: Government expenditure on tertiary education, PPP$. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-ppp-millions/south-africa/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education, PPP$ (millions)
Unit
millions
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
145 places, 2,109 data points, 1984–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on tertiary education (current, capital, and transfers), in millions PPP$ (at purchasing power parity), in 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 PPP$. 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/