Government spending on education as a share of GDP in France
France: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 5.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in France, 1870–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2022, government spending on education as a share of gdp in France stood at 5.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in France peaked at 5.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1870.
That places France 47th out of 199 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in France, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.3% | — |
| 1913 | 1.5% | +400.0% |
| 1937 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 1960 | 2.4% | +84.6% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | +44.4% |
| 1971 | 3.2% | -7.4% |
| 1972 | 3.4% | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 3.3% | -4.0% |
| 1974 | 4.3% | +31.4% |
| 1975 | 4.5% | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 4.5% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 4.5% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 4.4% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 4.3% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 4.3% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 4.8% | +9.9% |
| 1982 | 4.9% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 4.9% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 4.9% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 4.7% | -3.2% |
| 1987 | 4.7% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 4.6% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 4.5% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 4.6% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 4.9% | +7.1% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 5.5% | +14.4% |
| 1994 | 5.7% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 5.7% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 5.7% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | -1.7% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 5.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- France's 5.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.5%, 1.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending on education as a share of GDP in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | +400.0% | 0.3% | 1.5% |
| 1960 | +84.6% | 1.3% | 2.4% |
| 1970 | +44.4% | 2.4% | 3.5% |
| 1974 | +31.4% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1960s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 1970s | 4.0% | 3.2% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.3% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near France
- 44 South Korea 5.4% compare
- 45 Dominica 5.4% compare
- 46 Burkina Faso 5.3% compare
- 48 Costa Rica 5.3% compare
- 49 Tonga 5.3% compare
- 50 Slovenia 5.3% compare
More education data for France
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 457,956 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 43,533 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0602 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in France?
- Government spending on education as a share of gdp in France was 5.3% in 2022, 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 5.8% in 1995.
- What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1870.
- How does France rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
- France ranks 47th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France 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.