Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in South Africa

South Africa: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 31.2% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
31.2%
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
43rd
of 191 countries
All-time high
37.9%
in 2000
All-time low
31.2%
in 2022
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in South Africa, 2000–2022

0102030402000201120222000: 37.92001: 37.22002: 35.82003: 34.62004: 33.72005: 332006: 32.92007: 32.92008: 32.92009: 33.22010: 34.82011: 36.22012: 36.22013: 35.82014: 35.52015: 34.82016: 35.32017: 35.52018: 35.62019: 34.82020: 32.82021: 32.22022: 31.2

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2022, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in South Africa stood at 31.2%. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in South Africa peaked at 37.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 31.2%, in 2022.

That places South Africa 43rd out of 191 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in South Africa, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 37.9%
2001 37.2% -2.0%
2002 35.8% -3.7%
2003 34.6% -3.2%
2004 33.7% -2.6%
2005 33.0% -2.1%
2006 32.9% -0.5%
2007 32.9% +0.3%
2008 32.9% +0.0%
2009 33.2% +0.8%
2010 34.8% +4.9%
2011 36.2% +4.0%
2012 36.2% -0.1%
2013 35.8% -1.1%
2014 35.5% -0.8%
2015 34.8% -1.9%
2016 35.3% +1.3%
2017 35.5% +0.8%
2018 35.6% +0.1%
2019 34.8% -2.2%
2020 32.8% -5.6%
2021 32.2% -1.9%
2022 31.2% -3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.4% 32.9% 37.9% 10
2010s 35.4% 34.8% 36.2% 10
2020s 32.1% 31.2% 32.8% 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 40 Zimbabwe 31.8% compare
  2. 41 Panama 31.6% compare
  3. 42 Bhutan 31.4% compare
  4. 44 Haiti 31.1% compare
  5. 45 Sao Tome and Principe 31.0% compare
  6. 46 Solomon Islands 31.0% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in South Africa?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in South Africa was 31.2% in 2022, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 37.9% in 2000.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 31.2% in 2022.
How does South Africa rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
South Africa ranks 43rd out of 191 countries with data for 2022.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
191 places, 4,119 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed