Netherlands vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP

Netherlands
1.6%
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1.6%
in 2021
Netherlands rank
15th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
13th

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

  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
00.511.52197019962022

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 1.6% against 1.6% in Netherlands, a difference of 0.0%.

Across all 29 years both countries report, Netherlands has been ahead every year.

Netherlands ranks 15th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 13th of 173 countries.

Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Netherlands United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1970s 1.8% 1.3% 0.5% Netherlands
1980s 1.7% 1.1% 0.6% Netherlands
1990s 1.5% 1.0% 0.5% Netherlands
2010s 1.6% 1.4% 0.2% Netherlands
2020s 1.7% 1.6% 0.1% Netherlands

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp, Netherlands or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 1.6% against 1.6% in Netherlands as of 2021.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp between Netherlands and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.0%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
29 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2021.
How do Netherlands and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
Netherlands ranks 15th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 13th of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary 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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Netherlands vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/netherlands/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
173 places, 3,953 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release