United Kingdom vs United States: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP
United Kingdom
1.6%
in 2021
United States
1.7%
in 2021
United Kingdom rank
13th
United States rank
10th
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP over time
- United Kingdom
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 1.7% against 1.6% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes United States's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 7 shared years of data; in 2015 it was United States ahead.
United Kingdom ranks 13th and United States ranks 10th of 173 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, United Kingdom averaged higher in 1 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Kingdom | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.1% | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.7% | 0.2% | United States |
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, United Kingdom or United States?
- United States, at 1.7% against 1.6% in United Kingdom as of 2021.
- What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp between United Kingdom and United States?
- 0.1%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom and United States?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2021.
- How do United Kingdom and United States rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
- United Kingdom ranks 13th and United States ranks 10th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release