China vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government

China
10.4%
in 2023
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
10.6%
in 2022
China rank
81st
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
79th

Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time

  • China
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
051015200020112023

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 10.6% against 10.4% in China, a difference of 0.2%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 23 shared years of data; in 2000 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

China ranks 81st and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 79th of 123 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
2000s 6.3% 13.7% 7.4% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 12.6% 12.3% 0.3% China
2020s 10.6% 10.7% 0.1% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher expenditure on education as a percentage of total government, China or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 10.6% against 10.4% in China as of 2022.
What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between China and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.2%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
23 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2022.
How do China and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
China ranks 81st and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 79th of 123 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-total-government-expenditure-percent-imf/china/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation)
Unit
IMF calculation
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
123 places, 2,203 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release