Hong Kong, China vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$

Hong Kong, China
4,803 millions
in 2019
South Africa
4,176 millions
in 2019
Hong Kong, China rank
30th
South Africa rank
32nd

Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ over time

  • Hong Kong, China
  • South Africa
01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k197119952019

How they compare

Hong Kong, China currently reports 4,803 millions against 4,176 millions in South Africa, a difference of 627 millions.

That makes Hong Kong, China's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 17 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.

Hong Kong, China ranks 30th and South Africa ranks 32nd of 158 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Hong Kong, China South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 1,059 millions 1,413 millions 353.49 millions South Africa
2000s 2,477 millions 1,693 millions 784.38 millions Hong Kong, China
2010s 3,097 millions 2,904 millions 193.4 millions Hong Kong, China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education, us$, Hong Kong, China or South Africa?
Hong Kong, China, at 4,803 millions against 4,176 millions in South Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ between Hong Kong, China and South Africa?
627 millions, with Hong Kong, China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Hong Kong, China and South Africa?
17 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2019.
How do Hong Kong, China and South Africa rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$?
Hong Kong, China ranks 30th and South Africa ranks 32nd of 158 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Hong Kong, China vs South Africa: Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-us-millions/hong-kong-sar-china/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions)
Unit
millions
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
158 places, 3,257 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on tertiary 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/