Portugal vs Spain: Government expenditure on education, total

Portugal
4.6%
in 2022
Spain
4.6%
in 2022
Portugal rank
77th
Spain rank
76th

Government expenditure on education, total over time

  • Portugal
  • Spain
123456197019962022

How they compare

Spain currently reports 4.6% against 4.6% in Portugal, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1974 it was Portugal ahead.

Portugal ranks 77th and Spain ranks 76th of 196 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Portugal averaged higher in 5 and Spain in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Portugal Spain Difference Ahead
1970s 2.7% 2.0% 0.7% Portugal
1980s 3.3% 3.3% 0.0% Portugal
1990s 4.5% 4.1% 0.4% Portugal
2000s 5.1% 4.3% 0.9% Portugal
2010s 5.0% 4.4% 0.6% Portugal
2020s 4.7% 4.7% 0.0% Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on education, total, Portugal or Spain?
Spain, at 4.6% against 4.6% in Portugal as of 2022.
What is the difference in government expenditure on education, total between Portugal and Spain?
0.0%, with Spain ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Spain?
37 years are reported by both, from 1974 to 2022.
How do Portugal and Spain rank globally for government expenditure on education, total?
Portugal ranks 77th and Spain ranks 76th of 196 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Portugal vs Spain: Government expenditure on education, total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/portugal/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 6,340 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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.