Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa

South Africa: Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total was 1.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
1.4%
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
21st
of 34 countries
All-time high
4.8%
in 2007
All-time low
1.3%
in 2015
Years of data
16
2001–2019

Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa, 2001–2019

123452001201020192001: 1.8 %2003: 2.1 %2004: 2.5 %2005: 3.1 %2007: 4.8 %2008: 2.8 %2009: 2.7 %2010: 2.9 %2011: 1.9 %2012: 2.1 %2013: 2.2 %2014: 1.7 %2015: 1.3 %2017: 1.6 %2018: 1.5 %2019: 1.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2019, expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa stood at 1.4%.

The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 48.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa peaked at 4.8% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2015.

South Africa ranks 21st of 34 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%) in South Africa, 2001 to 2019.
Year % Change
2001 1.8%
2003 2.1% +14.4%
2004 2.5% +21.2%
2005 3.1% +23.5%
2007 4.8% +54.8%
2008 2.8% -41.7%
2009 2.7% -2.5%
2010 2.9% +7.3%
2011 1.9% -34.4%
2012 2.1% +9.1%
2013 2.2% +5.8%
2014 1.7% -23.1%
2015 1.3% -24.7%
2017 1.6% +26.5%
2018 1.5% -8.5%
2019 1.4% -5.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.8% 1.8% 4.8% 7
2010s 1.8% 1.3% 2.9% 9

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 18 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.7% compare
  2. 19 Malaysia 1.5% compare
  3. 20 Lao People's Democratic Republic 1.4% compare
  4. 22 Cape Verde 0.8% compare
  5. 23 Peru 0.7% compare
  6. 24 Cuba 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa?
Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa was 1.4% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 2007.
What is the lowest expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2015.
How does South Africa rank for expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total?
South Africa ranks 21st out of 34 countries with data for 2019.
Is expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 48.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-school-books-and-teaching-material-as-percent-of-total-expenditure-in/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on school books and teaching material as % of total expenditure in primary public institutions (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
34 places, 284 data points, 1998–2019
Last refreshed

Expenditure on school books and teaching material 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. Divide expenditure on school books and teaching material 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. Limitations: Although countries responding to the UIS questionnaire on educational expenditure are required to follow common definitions, in some cases government budget classifications may differ. It is also often difficult to identify expenditure on school books and teaching material, as not all accounting systems include such a classification. In some poorer countries, foreign donors and/or households may fund a large portion of expenditure on school books and teaching material, and where country respondents only have data on government expenditure, the amounts may be underestimated or missing entirely. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/