Health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa
South Africa: Health spending as a share of total government spending was 16.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa is 16.9%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa peaked at 16.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.4%, in 2002.
That places South Africa 25th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.9% | — |
| 2001 | 10.6% | -10.4% |
| 2002 | 10.4% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | +18.9% |
| 2004 | 12.0% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 13.1% | +19.9% |
| 2007 | 13.5% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 13.0% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 13.4% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 14.5% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 14.9% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 15.3% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 15.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 15.3% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 15.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 16.9% | +10.4% |
| 2021 | 16.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 16.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 16.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.1% | 10.4% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.9% | 16.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0221 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 0.8639 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0217 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa?
- Health spending as a share of total government spending in South Africa was 16.9% in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest health spending as a share of total government spending recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.4% in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for health spending as a share of total government spending?
- South Africa ranks 25th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is health spending as a share of total government spending rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Health spending as a share of total government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Domestic general government health expenditure expressed as a percentage of total expenditure of the general government.