| Current Rank | Country | Value | Latest Reading | Previous Rank | Previous Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namibia | 9.41 | 2020 | 1 | 9.48 |
| 2 | Lesotho | 7.38 | 2020 | 2 | 7.8 |
| 3 ↑ | Tunisia | 7.32 | 2016 | 4 | 6.6 |
| 4 ↑ | Sierra Leone | 6.99 | 2018 | 19 | 4.64 |
| 5 ↓ | Botswana | 6.91 | 2019 | 3 | 6.72 |
| 6 ↓ | South Africa | 6.84 | 2020 | 5 | 6.51 |
| 7 ↑ | Mozambique | 6.23 | 2019 | 9 | 5.45 |
| 8 ↓ | Algeria | 6.1 | 2019 | 6 | 5.87 |
| 9 ↑ | Sao Tome and Principe | 5.92 | 2019 | 12 | 5.24 |
| 10 ↓ | Burkina Faso | 5.79 | 2019 | 8 | 5.63 |
| 11 ↑ | Ethiopia | 5.65 | 2017 | 14 | 5.06 |
| 12 ↓ | Swaziland | 5.34 | 2020 | 7 | 5.65 |
| 13 ↓ | Morocco | 5.26 | 2009 | 11 | 5.34 |
| 14 ↑ | Kenya | 5.08 | 2020 | 15 | 4.97 |
| 14 ↑ | Burundi | 5.08 | 2018 | 16 | 4.76 |
| 16 ↑ | Togo | 4.97 | 2019 | 24 | 4.04 |
| 17 ↑ | Senegal | 4.86 | 2018 | 20 | 4.62 |
| 18 ↓ | Cape Verde | 4.73 | 2019 | 13 | 5.18 |
| 19 ↓ | Mauritius | 4.61 | 2020 | 18 | 4.72 |
| 20 ↓ | Zambia | 4.47 | 2019 | 17 | 4.74 |
| 21 ↑ | Ghana | 4 | 2018 | 29 | 3.63 |
| 22 ↑ | Egypt | 3.93 | 2015 | 23 | 4.25 |
| 23 ↓ | Seychelles | 3.91 | 2019 | 21 | 4.5 |
| 24 ↓ | Republic of the Congo | 3.9 | 2019 | 22 | 4.44 |
| 25 ↑ | Ivory Coast | 3.7 | 2019 | 33 | 3.24 |
| 26 | Djibouti | 3.63 | 2018 | 26 | 3.75 |
| 27 ↓ | Zimbabwe | 3.59 | 2018 | 10 | 5.38 |
| 28 | Tanzania | 3.53 | 2019 | 28 | 3.7 |
| 29 ↑ | Niger | 3.52 | 2019 | 31 | 3.45 |
| 30 ↓ | Mali | 3.44 | 2019 | 25 | 3.88 |
| 31 ↑ | Rwanda | 3.36 | 2019 | 37 | 3.07 |
| 32 ↑ | Cameroon | 3.1 | 2019 | 36 | 3.13 |
| 33 ↑ | Nigeria | 3.06 | 1975 | 34 | 3.21 |
| 34 ↑ | Uganda | 3.01 | 2020 | 40 | 2.65 |
| 35 ↓ | Benin | 2.97 | 2019 | 30 | 3.54 |
| 36 ↑ | Guinea-Bissau | 2.95 | 2019 | 46 | 2.14 |
| 37 ↑ | Madagascar | 2.94 | 2019 | 38 | 2.87 |
| 38 ↓ | Malawi | 2.91 | 2020 | 27 | 3.71 |
| 39 ↑ | Gambia | 2.88 | 2019 | 41 | 2.37 |
| 40 ↓ | Gabon | 2.77 | 2019 | 32 | 3.33 |
| 41 ↓ | Comoros | 2.55 | 2015 | 39 | 2.74 |
| 42 | Guinea | 2.38 | 2018 | 42 | 2.32 |
| 43 ↑ | Chad | 2.37 | 2019 | 44 | 2.26 |
| 44 ↓ | Liberia | 2.31 | 2020 | 43 | 2.27 |
| 45 ↑ | Libya | 2.26 | 1999 | 51 | |
| 46 ↓ | Sudan | 2.22 | 2009 | 45 | 2.2 |
| 47 ↑ | Equatorial Guinea | 2.19 | 1998 | 51 | |
| 48 ↓ | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2.17 | 2015 | 47 | 1.95 |
| 49 ↓ | Eritrea | 2.13 | 2006 | 35 | 3.15 |
| 50 ↓ | Mauritania | 1.89 | 2020 | 48 | 1.89 |
| 51 ↓ | Central African Republic | 1.57 | 2018 | 49 | 1.75 |
| 52 ↓ | Somalia | 1.28 | 1973 | 50 | 1.18 |
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.
