Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa

South Africa: Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant was 5,464 millions in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
5,464 millions
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
4th
of 144 countries
All-time high
6,499 millions
in 2012
All-time low
0 millions
in 1987
Years of data
27
1987–2019

Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa, 1987–2019

02.0k4.0k6.0k1987200320191987: 0 millions1988: 0 millions1989: 0 millions1990: 0 millions1993: 0 millions1994: 0 millions1996: 0 millions1999: 1.5k millions2000: 1.6k millions2001: 1.5k millions2002: 1.5k millions2003: 2.0k millions2004: 2.6k millions2005: 2.2k millions2006: 2.4k millions2007: 2.3k millions2008: 3.6k millions2009: 4.0k millions2010: 3.8k millions2011: 4.9k millions2012: 6.5k millions2013: 4.5k millions2014: 5.5k millions2015: 5.7k millions2017: 5.3k millions2018: 5.3k millions2019: 5.5k millions

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.

Analysis

In 2019, government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa stood at 5,464 millions.

The figure is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 37.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa peaked at 6,499 millions in 2012 and was at its lowest, 0 millions, in 1987.

South Africa ranks 4th of 144 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant PPP$ (millions) in South Africa, 1987 to 2019.
Year millions Change
1987 0 millions
1988 0 millions
1989 0 millions
1990 0 millions
1993 0 millions
1994 0 millions
1996 0 millions
1999 1,504 millions
2000 1,637 millions +8.8%
2001 1,502 millions -8.2%
2002 1,469 millions -2.1%
2003 1,956 millions +33.1%
2004 2,572 millions +31.5%
2005 2,203 millions -14.3%
2006 2,388 millions +8.4%
2007 2,333 millions -2.3%
2008 3,559 millions +52.5%
2009 3,976 millions +11.7%
2010 3,838 millions -3.5%
2011 4,850 millions +26.4%
2012 6,499 millions +34.0%
2013 4,475 millions -31.1%
2014 5,493 millions +22.8%
2015 5,691 millions +3.6%
2017 5,344 millions -6.1%
2018 5,327 millions -0.3%
2019 5,464 millions +2.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0 millions 0 millions 0 millions 3
1990s 300.78 millions 0 millions 1,504 millions 5
2000s 2,360 millions 1,469 millions 3,976 millions 10
2010s 5,220 millions 3,838 millions 6,499 millions 9

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Italy 29,440 millions compare
  2. 2 Russian Federation 15,324 millions compare
  3. 3 Indonesia 12,013 millions compare
  4. 5 Germany 3,651 millions compare
  5. 6 Thailand 3,597 millions compare
  6. 7 China 3,483 millions compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa?
Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa was 5,464 millions in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 6,499 millions in 2012.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 millions in 1987.
How does South Africa rank for government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant?
South Africa ranks 4th out of 144 countries with data for 2019.
Is government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant PPP$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-not-specified-by-level-constant-ppp-millions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education not specified by level, constant PPP$ (millions)
Unit
millions
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
144 places, 2,028 data points, 1971–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) not specified by level, in millions PPP$ (at purchasing power parity) in constant value (taking into account inflation). 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$, and where it is expressed in constant value, uses a GDP deflator to account for inflation. The constant prices base year is normally three years before the year of the data release. For example, in the July 2017 data release, constant PPP$ values are expressed in 2014 prices. 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/