How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and New Zealand?

11 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.

Where does this data come from?

Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Australia vs New Zealand: Government expenditure on education, total

Australia

12.6%

in 2022

New Zealand

12.7%

in 2023

Australia rank

98th

New Zealand rank

96th

Government expenditure on education, total over time

Australia
New Zealand

How they compare

New Zealand currently reports 12.7% against 12.6% in Australia, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 11 shared years of data; in 1980 it was New Zealand ahead.

Australia ranks 98th and New Zealand ranks 96th of 193 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and New Zealand in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Australia	New Zealand	Difference	Ahead
1980s	3.8%	6.4%	2.6%	New Zealand
1990s	14.3%	14.1%	0.2%	Australia
2020s	12.3%	13.2%	0.9%	New Zealand

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on education, total, Australia or New Zealand?: New Zealand, at 12.7% against 12.6% in Australia as of 2023.
What is the difference in government expenditure on education, total between Australia and New Zealand?: 0.1%, with New Zealand ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and New Zealand?: 11 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2022.
How do Australia and New Zealand rank globally for government expenditure on education, total?: Australia ranks 98th and New Zealand ranks 96th of 193 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs New Zealand: Government expenditure on education, total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-government-expenditure/australia/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator: Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)
Unit: % of government expenditure
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 239 places, 5,722 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed: 17 September 2026

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.