China vs United Kingdom: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government
China
11.9%
in 2023
United Kingdom
11.8%
in 2021
China rank
115th
United Kingdom rank
117th
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
China currently reports 11.9% against 11.8% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 14 shared years of data; in 1981 it was United Kingdom ahead.
China ranks 115th and United Kingdom ranks 117th of 197 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.6% | 11.1% | 3.5% | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 16.3% | 11.7% | 4.6% | China |
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?
- China, at 11.9% against 11.8% in United Kingdom as of 2023.
- What is the difference in expenditure on education as a percentage of total government between China and United Kingdom?
- 0.1%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 1999.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- China ranks 115th and United Kingdom ranks 117th of 197 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release