Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Liberia
Liberia: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 2.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Liberia, 1978–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Liberia recorded 2.3% for government spending on education as a share of gdp in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 34.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Liberia peaked at 7.0% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2013.
That places Liberia 174th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Liberia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 7.0% | — |
| 1980 | 6.3% | -10.5% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -72.8% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | +30.1% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 2.1% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | +25.9% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 2.3% | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | -0.4% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 2.3% is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.8%, 81% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 2.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.2%, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Liberia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | -72.8% | 6.3% | 1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More education data for Liberia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 17,857 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14,815 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 123,519 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 123,876 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 274,573 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 569,741 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.417 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.106 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in Liberia?
- Government spending on education as a share of gdp in Liberia was 2.3% 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 Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 1978.
- What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2013.
- How does Liberia rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
- Liberia ranks 174th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Liberia 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.