Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Bahrain
Bahrain: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 1.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Bahrain, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Bahrain stood at 1.9%.
The figure is up 10.3% on the previous year and down 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Bahrain peaked at 2.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2022.
Bahrain ranks 184th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.0% | — |
| 1971 | 2.3% | +14.7% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | -12.3% |
| 2006 | 2.9% | +42.0% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -10.4% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 2.4% | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +10.1% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +7.8% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | +9.8% |
| 2017 | 2.2% | -20.9% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | -11.6% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | -10.1% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | +10.3% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's 1.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 43% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's 1.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4.4%, 43% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More education data for Bahrain
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8,964 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 15,546 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 14,992 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 109,221 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 122,305 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.077 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in Bahrain?
- Government spending on education as a share of gdp in Bahrain was 1.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2006.
- What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2022.
- How does Bahrain rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
- Bahrain ranks 184th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.