Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP
Pakistan
1.9%
in 2023
Sri Lanka
1.7%
in 2018
Pakistan rank
167th
Sri Lanka rank
170th
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP over time
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Pakistan currently reports 1.9% against 1.7% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Pakistan's figure about 1.1 times Sri Lanka's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1973 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
Pakistan ranks 167th and Sri Lanka ranks 170th of 185 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Pakistan averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.0% | 2.9% | 0.9% | Sri Lanka |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 2.6% | 0.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.9% | 0.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.9% | 0.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.8% | 0.0% | Pakistan |
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, Pakistan or Sri Lanka?
- Pakistan, at 1.9% against 1.7% in Sri Lanka as of 2023.
- What is the difference in initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp between Pakistan and Sri Lanka?
- 0.2%, with Pakistan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Pakistan and Sri Lanka?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2017.
- How do Pakistan and Sri Lanka rank globally for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Pakistan ranks 167th and Sri Lanka ranks 170th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release