Least developed countries vs South Africa: Current health expenditure
Current health expenditure over time
- Least developed countries
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 8.9% against 3.6% in Least developed countries, a difference of 5.3%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 2.5 times Least developed countries's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Least developed countries ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 47th of 47 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Least developed countries | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.9% | 7.1% | 3.2% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 8.0% | 4.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 3.8% | 8.8% | 5.1% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher current health expenditure, Least developed countries or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 8.9% against 3.6% in Least developed countries as of 2023.
- What is the difference in current health expenditure between Least developed countries and South Africa?
- 5.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Least developed countries and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do Least developed countries and South Africa rank globally for current health expenditure?
- Least developed countries ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 47th of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as Current health expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Level of current health expenditure expressed as a percentage of GDP. Estimates of current health expenditures include healthcare goods and services consumed during each year. This indicator does not include capital health expenditures such as buildings, machinery, IT and stocks of vaccines for emergency or outbreaks.