Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Croatia

Croatia: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 4.1% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
4.1%
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
103rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
4.5%
in 2013
All-time low
3.8%
in 2002
Years of data
14
2002–2021

Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Croatia, 2002–2021

0123452002201120212002: 3.8 % of GDP2003: 3.9 % of GDP2004: 3.8 % of GDP2007: 4 % of GDP2008: 4.3 % of GDP2009: 4.4 % of GDP2010: 4.2 % of GDP2011: 4.1 % of GDP2013: 4.5 % of GDP2017: 3.9 % of GDP2018: 3.9 % of GDP2019: 3.9 % of GDP2020: 4.4 % of GDP2021: 4.1 % of GDP

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2021, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Croatia stood at 4.1%.

The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Croatia peaked at 4.5% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2002.

That places Croatia 103rd out of 199 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Croatia, year by year

Annual values for Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Croatia, 2002 to 2021.
Year % of GDP Change
2002 3.8%
2003 3.9% +1.2%
2004 3.8% -1.2%
2007 4.0% +3.8%
2008 4.3% +7.8%
2009 4.4% +2.0%
2010 4.2% -3.6%
2011 4.1% -2.4%
2013 4.5% +9.6%
2017 3.9% -14.0%
2018 3.9% +1.3%
2019 3.9% +0.5%
2020 4.4% +11.7%
2021 4.1% -7.2%

Croatia compared with similar countries

  • Croatia's 4.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 93% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
  • Croatia's 4.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.5%, 91% of the median. (51 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.0% 3.8% 4.4% 6
2010s 4.1% 3.9% 4.5% 6
2020s 4.3% 4.1% 4.4% 2

Countries ranked near Croatia

  1. 100 Russia 4.2% compare
  2. 101 Togo 4.1% compare
  3. 102 India 4.1% compare
  4. 104 Niger 4.1% compare
  5. 105 Zambia 4.1% compare
  6. 106 Italy 4.1% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More education data for Croatia

All data for Croatia →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in Croatia?
Government spending on education as a share of gdp in Croatia was 4.1% in 2021, 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 Croatia?
The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2013.
What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Croatia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2002.
How does Croatia rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
Croatia ranks 103rd out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in Croatia?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Croatia 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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Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Croatia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/education-spending/croatia/

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending on education as a share of GDP
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 5,187 data points, 1870–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.