South Africa vs South Asia: Current health expenditure
South Africa
8.9%
in 2023
South Asia
3.3%
in 2023
South Africa rank
47th
South Asia rank
46th
Current health expenditure over time
- South Africa
- South Asia
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 8.9% against 3.3% in South Asia, a difference of 5.6%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 2.7 times South Asia's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 47th and South Asia ranks 46th of 193 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.1% | 3.8% | 3.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 8.0% | 3.3% | 4.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 8.8% | 3.3% | 5.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher current health expenditure, South Africa or South Asia?
- South Africa, at 8.9% against 3.3% in South Asia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in current health expenditure between South Africa and South Asia?
- 5.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and South Asia?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and South Asia rank globally for current health expenditure?
- South Africa ranks 47th and South Asia ranks 46th of 193 countries.
- 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.