South Africa — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for South Africa, 2000–2023.
Health spending for South Africa was 8.91% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 24 years, from 2000 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 9.02% in 2020. The lowest was 6.68% in 2002 (about 1.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.85% per year.
South Africa ranks 46 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 24%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.48%, so South Africa sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved up 10%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 6 of 46 economies; Guinea-Bissau (8.82%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 9% in 2020. That is 7% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 82 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 39th of 184 in 2000 → 54th of 188 in 2010 → 49th of 189 in 2020 → 45th of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2000 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8.91% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 8.75% | +0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 8.66% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 9.02% | +0.8 pp |
| 2019 | 8.25% | +0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 8.08% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 7.98% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 8.08% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 8.05% | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 7.87% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 8.1% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 8% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 7.94% | +0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 7.79% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 7.65% | +0.5 pp |
| 2008 | 7.15% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 6.91% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 6.88% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 6.86% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 6.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 7.04% | +0.4 pp |
| 2002 | 6.68% | -0.4 pp |
| 2001 | 7.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 7.34% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was South Africa’s Health spending in 2001?
7.12% (2001). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is South Africa’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2000 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +21.4% in total — about 0.8% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 8.91%; 2022: 8.75%; 2021: 8.66%; 2020: 9.02%; 2019: 8.25%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.