Small states vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Expenditure on tertiary education

Small states
13.3%
in 2014
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
25.6%
in 2016
Small states rank
36th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
38th

Expenditure on tertiary education over time

  • Small states
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 25.6% against 13.3% in Small states, a difference of 12.3%.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.9 times Small states's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 20 shared years of data; in 1980 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Small states ranks 36th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 38th of 37 groups.

Across the 4 decades both report, Small states averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Small states United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1980s 13.2% 22.1% 8.9% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 16.9% 20.3% 3.3% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2000s 20.4% 18.7% 1.7% Small states
2010s 16.2% 21.7% 5.5% 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 tertiary education, Small states or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 25.6% against 13.3% in Small states as of 2016.
What is the difference in expenditure on tertiary education between Small states and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
12.3%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Small states and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
20 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2014.
How do Small states and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for expenditure on tertiary education?
Small states ranks 36th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 38th of 37 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Small states vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Expenditure on tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/small-states/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education)
Unit
% of government expenditure on education
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
197 places, 3,723 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.