France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP

France
5.3%
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
5.4%
in 2021
France rank
31st
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
28th

Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP over time

  • France
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
0246197019962022

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 5.4% against 5.3% in France, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

France ranks 31st and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 28th of 185 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, France averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade France United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1970s 3.9% 5.7% 1.7% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1980s 4.7% 4.7% 0.0% France
1990s 5.3% 4.4% 0.9% France
2010s 5.4% 5.2% 0.2% France
2020s 5.5% 5.6% 0.1% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp, France or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 5.4% against 5.3% in France as of 2021.
What is the difference in initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp between France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.1%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
31 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2021.
How do France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
France ranks 31st and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 28th of 185 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Initial government expenditure on 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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France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/initial-government-expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/france/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
185 places, 4,380 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release