Education spending in Singapore
Singapore: Education spending was 2.19 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
2.19
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
175th
of 199 countries
All-time high
3.98
in 2003
All-time low
2.1
in 2023
Years of data
39
1971–2024
Education spending in Singapore, 1971–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, education spending in Singapore stood at 2.19.
The figure is up 4.1% on the previous year and down 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, education spending in Singapore peaked at 3.98 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2.1, in 2023.
That places Singapore 175th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Education spending in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.11 | — |
| 1972 | 2.87 | -7.8% |
| 1973 | 2.49 | -13.2% |
| 1974 | 2.39 | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 2.44 | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 2.69 | +10.4% |
| 1977 | 2.45 | -9.0% |
| 1978 | 2.29 | -6.5% |
| 1979 | 2.25 | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 2.56 | +13.8% |
| 1981 | 2.58 | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 3.27 | +26.5% |
| 1983 | 3.95 | +20.8% |
| 1988 | 3.65 | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 3.32 | -9.1% |
| 2001 | 3.54 | +6.7% |
| 2002 | 3.88 | +9.5% |
| 2003 | 3.98 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 3.65 | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 3.2 | -12.5% |
| 2006 | 2.86 | -10.5% |
| 2007 | 2.95 | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 2.76 | -6.2% |
| 2009 | 3.01 | +8.9% |
| 2010 | 3.08 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 3.03 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 3.07 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 2.85 | -7.1% |
| 2014 | 3.01 | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 2.99 | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 2.94 | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 2.88 | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 2.85 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 2.73 | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 2.69 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 2.83 | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 2.47 | -12.5% |
| 2023 | 2.1 | -15.0% |
| 2024 | 2.19 | +4.1% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 2.19 is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.4, 50% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 2.19 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.25, 52% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.55 | 2.25 | 3.11 | 9 |
| 1980s | 3.2 | 2.56 | 3.95 | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.32 | 2.76 | 3.98 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.94 | 2.73 | 3.08 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.46 | 2.1 | 2.83 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 99.79 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is education spending in Singapore?
- Education spending in Singapore was 2.19 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest education spending recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 3.98 in 2003.
- What is the lowest education spending recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1 in 2023.
- How does Singapore rank for education spending?
- Singapore ranks 175th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is education spending rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Education spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).