South Korea vs United Kingdom: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP

South Korea
1.8%
in 2022
United Kingdom
1.9%
in 2021
South Korea rank
36th
United Kingdom rank
33rd

Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP over time

  • South Korea
  • United Kingdom
00.511.522.5197019962022

How they compare

United Kingdom currently reports 1.9% against 1.8% in South Korea, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 30 shared years of data; in 1971 it was South Korea ahead.

South Korea ranks 36th and United Kingdom ranks 33rd of 162 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Korea United Kingdom Difference Ahead
1970s 1.7% 1.5% 0.2% South Korea
1980s 1.7% 1.2% 0.5% South Korea
1990s 1.3% 1.2% 0.2% South Korea
2010s 1.4% 1.7% 0.4% United Kingdom
2020s 1.4% 1.8% 0.4% United Kingdom

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp, South Korea or United Kingdom?
United Kingdom, at 1.9% against 1.8% in South Korea as of 2021.
What is the difference in government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp between South Korea and United Kingdom?
0.1%, with United Kingdom ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United Kingdom?
30 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2021.
How do South Korea and United Kingdom rank globally for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
South Korea ranks 36th and United Kingdom ranks 33rd of 162 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Korea vs United Kingdom: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-primary-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/korea-rep/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
162 places, 3,611 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release