Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Pakistan
Pakistan: Government spending on education as a share of GDP was 1.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
1.9%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
182nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
3.0%
in 1997
All-time low
1.4%
in 2004
Years of data
48
1971–2023
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Pakistan, 1971–2023
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 Pakistan stood at 1.9%.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education as a share of gdp in Pakistan peaked at 3.0% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2004.
Pakistan ranks 182nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Government spending on education as a share of GDP in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.7% | — |
| 1972 | 1.6% | -5.2% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | +16.7% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 2.2% | +13.0% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | -3.9% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 2.2% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 2.1% | -3.1% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | -7.4% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 2.0% | -0.9% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | +3.7% |
| 1985 | 2.4% | +17.7% |
| 1986 | 2.7% | +10.0% |
| 1987 | 3.0% | +11.2% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -20.6% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | +6.5% |
| 1991 | 2.6% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | +8.5% |
| 1995 | 2.8% | +8.0% |
| 1996 | 2.8% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | -13.6% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -29.6% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | -21.5% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | +15.7% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | +18.6% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +12.8% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 2.0% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | +13.0% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +8.2% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +11.8% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 2.3% | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | -18.0% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | +16.9% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | -1.3% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 1.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 48% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 1.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4.4%, 44% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More education data for Pakistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 440,233 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.90 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 19.70 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education as a share of gdp in Pakistan?
- Government spending on education as a share of gdp in Pakistan 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.0% in 1997.
- What is the lowest government spending on education as a share of gdp recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2004.
- How does Pakistan rank for government spending on education as a share of gdp?
- Pakistan ranks 182nd out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education as a share of gdp rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.
Download this data
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.