South Africa's primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) was 102.9% in 2022, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 2.94 percentage points from 99.97% in 2012.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 102.9% | 2022 |
| Five years earlier | 99.02% | 2017 |
| Ten years earlier | 99.97% | 2012 |
| Highest | 102.9% | 2022 |
| Lowest | 98.51% | 2011 |
| Average since 2013 | 100.39% | 2013–2022 |
| First recorded | 100.35% | 2006 |
What the numbers say
In 2022, South Africa's primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) rose 1.6 percentage points on 2021 (from 101.3% to 102.9%).
Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2021), the average change was +0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.76 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.8 percentage points in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.34 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 50% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2022, South Africa had the 19th highest value of the 46 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to South Africa in the 2022 ranking
- Tajikistan — 16th of 46: 104.97%
- El Salvador — 17th of 46: 104.92%
- Tunisia — 18th of 46: 103.18%
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 20th of 46: 102.26%
- Belize — 21st of 46: 101.14%
- Kiribati — 22nd of 46: 100.77%
What this measures
Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget measures the extent to which aggregate budget expenditure outturn reflects the amount originally approved, as defined in government budget documentation and fiscal reports. The coverage is budgetary central government (BCG) and the time period covered is the last three completed fiscal years.
Limitations: Although not all countries have used the PEFA methodology on an annual basis for the PEFA PI-1 indicator, the methodology relies on standard data sets for approved and final budget outturns which are commonly produced at least annually in every country. The countries that have not used the methodology to date are primarily highly developed countries which would have less difficulty in providing the necessary data than those in the lower and middle income categories that have been primary users of Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) to date. (As of: 2024-07-29) One limitation of the indicator is that it is an aggregate indicator of budget reliability.
All 16 values
| Year | Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 102.9 |
| 2021 | 101.3 |
| 2020 | 101.95 |
| 2019 | 99.63 |
| 2018 | 99.7 |
| 2017 | 99.02 |
| 2016 | 101.82 |
| 2015 | 99.07 |
| 2014 | 99.31 |
| 2013 | 99.24 |
Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) in nearby economies
- Angola — 73.48% (2023)
- Benin — 97.26% (2018)
- Botswana — 87.22% (2023)
- Burkina Faso — 95.82% (2016)
- Burundi — 112.38% (2023)
- Cabo Verde — 82.55% (2016)
- Cameroon — 42.64% (2024)
- Chad — 95.04% (2017)
More public sector data for South Africa
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 3.17 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 56.76 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.74% (2025)
- Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 115 million (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 30 million (2025)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 414.86 billion (2024)
- Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 5.64% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 98.59 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 1.34% (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is South Africa's primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%)?
- 102.9% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2006?
- It is up 2.55 percentage points from 100.35% in 2006. The highest value was 102.9% in 2022 and the lowest 98.51% in 2011.
- How does South Africa rank?
- 19th highest of 46 economies with data for 2022.
- Is the latest change in primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget (%) unusual for South Africa?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GF.XPD.BUDG.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA), World Bank (WB), uri: https://www.pefa.org/node/5239, note: The raw data collected in order to calculate this indicator are the initially Approved and Executed Budgets. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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