India vs South Africa: External health expenditure
External health expenditure over time
- India
- South Africa
How they compare
India currently reports 2.4% against 2.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.
That makes India's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2000 it was India ahead.
India ranks 87th and South Africa ranks 89th of 177 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.9% | 5.5% | 3.6% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 3.7% | 3.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.8% | 0.5% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher external health expenditure, India or South Africa?
- India, at 2.4% against 2.1% in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in external health expenditure between India and South Africa?
- 0.3%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2023.
- How do India and South Africa rank globally for external health expenditure?
- India ranks 87th and South Africa ranks 89th of 177 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from external sources. External sources compose of direct foreign transfers and foreign transfers distributed by government encompassing all financial inflows into the national health system from outside the country. External sources either flow through the government scheme or are channeled through non-governmental organizations or other schemes.