Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Netherlands
Netherlands: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 5.2% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Netherlands, 1937–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education as a share of gdp in Netherlands is 5.2%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Netherlands peaked at 6.4% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1937.
Netherlands ranks 58th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1960s | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 1 |
| 1970s | 6.2% | 5.8% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 4.7% | 4.5% | 5.2% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 5.1% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.2% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 14.9% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 104.2% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 98,851 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.43 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 103.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in Netherlands?
- Government spending on education as a share of gdp in Netherlands was 5.2% 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 Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 1975.
- What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1937.
- How does Netherlands rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
- Netherlands ranks 58th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.