Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in South Africa

South Africa: Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of was 55.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
55.6%
Change on year
up 16.0%
World rank
23rd
of 115 countries
All-time high
55.6%
in 2019
All-time low
38.2%
in 2014
Years of data
6
2013–2019

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in South Africa, 2013–2019

02040602013201620192013: 39.22014: 38.22015: 402017: 46.82018: 482019: 55.6

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 55.6% for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in 2019. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.0% on the previous year and up 41.9% over ten years.

That places South Africa 23rd out of 115 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita in South Africa, 2013 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2013 39.2%
2014 38.2% -2.6%
2015 40.0% +4.8%
2017 46.8% +17.0%
2018 48.0% +2.4%
2019 55.6% +16.0%

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 20 Pakistan 67.2% compare
  2. 21 Uganda 66.7%
  3. 22 Gambia 62.7%
  4. 24 Ghana 55.1%
  5. 25 Tunisia 54.7%
  6. 26 Benin 53.2%

See the full ranking of 115 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in South Africa?
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in South Africa was 55.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 55.6% in 2019.
What is the lowest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 38.2% in 2014.
How does South Africa rank for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of?
South Africa ranks 23rd out of 115 countries with data for 2019.
Is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 41.9%. 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 Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-funding-per-tertiary-student-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-per-capita/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
115 places, 1,387 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central, current and capital) initial government funding of education per student, which includes transfers paid (such as scholarships to students), but excludes transfers received, in this case international transfers to government for education (when foreign donors provide education sector budget support or other support integrated in the government budget). Calculation Method: Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure (current and capital) on a given level of education (primary, secondary, etc) minus international transfers to government for education, divided by the number of student enrolled at that level of education. This is then expressed as a share of GDP per capita. 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. There are also cases where it may not be possible to separate international transfers to government from general government expenditure on education, in which cases they have not been subtracted in the formula. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/