Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa

South Africa: Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public was 3.9% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
3.9%
Change on year
down 22.3%
World rank
68th
of 111 countries
All-time high
7.1%
in 2012
All-time low
0.0%
in 2003
Years of data
17
2001–2019

Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa, 2001–2019

024682001201020192001: 3.7 %2003: 0.035 %2004: 4.8 %2005: 4.4 %2006: 4.2 %2007: 4.3 %2008: 4 %2009: 5.3 %2010: 5.6 %2011: 5 %2012: 7.1 %2013: 5.9 %2014: 4 %2015: 4.3 %2017: 5.3 %2018: 5 %2019: 3.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa stood at 3.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 22.3% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa peaked at 7.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2003.

South Africa ranks 68th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%) in South Africa, 2001 to 2019.
Year % Change
2001 3.7%
2003 0.0% -99.1%
2004 4.8% +13646.6%
2005 4.4% -7.2%
2006 4.2% -4.9%
2007 4.3% +3.5%
2008 4.0% -7.8%
2009 5.3% +31.7%
2010 5.6% +5.9%
2011 5.0% -10.9%
2012 7.1% +43.6%
2013 5.9% -16.8%
2014 4.0% -33.0%
2015 4.3% +7.1%
2017 5.3% +24.0%
2018 5.0% -4.7%
2019 3.9% -22.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 3.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.6%, 85% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 3.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.8%, 1.0× the median. (26 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2004 +13646.6% 0.0% 4.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.8% 0.0% 5.3% 8
2010s 5.1% 3.9% 7.1% 9

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 65 Kenya 4.3% compare
  2. 66 Sweden 4.1% compare
  3. 67 Bulgaria 4.0% compare
  4. 69 Guinea 3.8% compare
  5. 70 Namibia 3.7% compare
  6. 71 Guatemala 3.7% compare

See the full ranking of 111 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa?
Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa was 3.9% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 2012.
What is the lowest capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public?
South Africa ranks 68th out of 111 countries with data for 2019.
Is capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/capital-expenditure-as-percent-of-total-expenditure-in-primary-public-institutions-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Capital expenditure as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
111 places, 1,271 data points, 1995–2019
Last refreshed

Capital expenditure expressed as a percentage of direct expenditure in public educational institutions (instructional and non-instructional) of the specified level of education. Financial aid to students and other transfers are excluded from direct expenditure. Capital expenditure is for education goods or assets that yield benefits for a period of more than one year. It includes expenditure for construction, renovation and major repairs of buildings and the purchase of heavy equipment or vehicles. Divide capital expenditure in public institutions of a given level of education (ex. primary, secondary, or all levels combined) by total expenditure (current and capital) in public institutions of the same level of education, and multiply by 100. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/