Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
123
Highest
31.9%
Solomon Islands
Lowest
1.5%
Pakistan
Median
12.5%
Years covered
24
2000–2023
Data points
2,203
What the numbers show
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation) is currently reported for 123 countries. The highest value is 31.9% in Solomon Islands; the lowest is 1.5% in Pakistan.
The median across all reporting countries is 12.5%, and the mean is 12.9%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 21.
Over the past decade 39 countries rose and 81 fell. The largest increase was in Uruguay (up 101.3%), and the largest decrease in Ukraine (down 58.2%).
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solomon Islands | 31.9% | 2020 | up 27.8% | rising |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 28.5% | 2023 | up 13.6% | falling |
| 3 | Marshall Islands | 24.8% | 2019 | down 35.6% | falling |
| 4 | Namibia | 24.0% | 2022 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 5 | Botswana | 22.0% | 2022 | up 33.5% | rising |
| 6 | Bhutan | 21.4% | 2020 | up 22.5% | rising |
| 7 | Palestine, State of | 20.7% | 2021 | up 13.4% | rising |
| 8 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 20.4% | 2007 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 19.9% | 2023 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 10 | Dominican Republic | 19.9% | 2022 | down 11.7% | rising |
| 11 | Kyrgyzstan | 19.8% | 2023 | up 44.5% | rising |
| 12 | Tajikistan | 19.7% | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 13 | Chile | 19.5% | 2023 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 14 | Guatemala | 19.3% | 2023 | down 9.5% | rising |
| 15 | Nicaragua | 19.2% | 2023 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 16 | Mozambique | 19.0% | 2022 | down 4.4% | flat |
| 17 | Malaysia | 18.9% | 2023 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 18 | Cape Verde | 18.8% | 2020 | up 36.7% | rising |
| 19 | South Africa | 18.6% | 2022 | down 2.9% | rising |
| 20 | Bangladesh | 18.6% | 2016 | up 17.0% | falling |
| 21 | Kenya | 18.4% | 2023 | down 11.4% | falling |
| 22 | Costa Rica | 18.0% | 2023 | down 28.8% | falling |
| 23 | Jamaica | 17.7% | 2015 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 24 | Samoa | 17.1% | 2021 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 25 | Panama | 16.6% | 2021 | down 4.5% | flat |
| 26 | Israel | 16.5% | 2023 | down 4.5% | rising |
| 27 | Philippines | 16.1% | 2023 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 28 | Madagascar | 16.0% | 2022 | down 21.4% | falling |
| 29 | Republic of Moldova | 15.9% | 2023 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 30 | Switzerland | 15.9% | 2023 | up 5.2% | flat |
| 31 | Yemen | 15.7% | 2012 | down 27.0% | falling |
| 32 | Palau | 15.7% | 2019 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 33 | Tunisia | 15.3% | 2012 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 34 | Iceland | 14.8% | 2023 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 35 | Republic of Korea | 14.8% | 2010 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 36 | Estonia | 14.6% | 2022 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 37 | Indonesia | 14.5% | 2023 | down 10.9% | rising |
| 38 | Uruguay | 14.3% | 2006 | up 101.3% | rising |
| 39 | Maldives | 14.2% | 2011 | down 19.9% | falling |
| 40 | Georgia | 14.1% | 2023 | up 17.0% | rising |
| 41 | United States of America | 14.0% | 2022 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 42 | Australia | 13.9% | 2022 | down 9.4% | falling |
| 43 | Kuwait | 13.8% | 2015 | up 14.2% | rising |
| 44 | Macau, China | 13.7% | 2023 | down 21.0% | falling |
| 45 | Kiribati | 13.5% | 2023 | down 19.0% | falling |
| 46 | Sweden | 13.5% | 2021 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 47 | Lithuania | 13.5% | 2022 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 48 | Uganda | 13.5% | 2023 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 49 | Liberia | 13.2% | 2013 | up 48.4% | rising |
| 50 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 13.2% | 2009 | up 27.6% | rising |
| 51 | Cyprus | 13.2% | 2022 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 52 | New Zealand | 13.1% | 2022 | down 21.0% | falling |
| 53 | Latvia | 13.1% | 2022 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 54 | Seychelles | 12.8% | 2014 | up 41.8% | rising |
| 55 | Belarus | 12.8% | 2023 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 56 | Nepal | 12.8% | 2021 | down 37.8% | falling |
| 57 | Mauritius | 12.8% | 2023 | down 18.1% | falling |
| 58 | Malta | 12.7% | 2022 | down 5.0% | flat |
| 59 | Ecuador | 12.7% | 2022 | up 9.2% | flat |
| 60 | Hong Kong, China | 12.7% | 2022 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 61 | Ethiopia | 12.6% | 2023 | down 9.0% | rising |
| 62 | El Salvador | 12.5% | 2023 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 63 | Ireland | 12.0% | 2021 | up 7.5% | flat |
| 64 | Egypt | 12.0% | 2015 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 65 | Slovenia | 12.0% | 2022 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 66 | Jordan | 11.8% | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 67 | Denmark | 11.8% | 2022 | down 1.9% | flat |
| 68 | Netherlands | 11.6% | 2022 | down 1.0% | flat |
| 69 | Thailand | 11.6% | 2023 | down 32.2% | falling |
| 70 | Belgium | 11.3% | 2021 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 71 | Canada | 11.2% | 2023 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 72 | Qatar | 11.1% | 2010 | up 35.4% | rising |
| 73 | Oman | 11.1% | 2013 | down 15.5% | falling |
| 74 | Czechia | 10.9% | 2021 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 75 | Angola | 10.8% | 2019 | up 14.6% | rising |
| 76 | Singapore | 10.8% | 2023 | down 51.0% | falling |
| 77 | Luxembourg | 10.7% | 2022 | down 11.7% | flat |
| 78 | Croatia | 10.7% | 2022 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 79 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 10.6% | 2022 | down 13.1% | falling |
| 80 | Poland | 10.5% | 2022 | down 15.6% | falling |
| 81 | China | 10.4% | 2023 | down 21.7% | rising |
| 82 | Finland | 10.4% | 2022 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 83 | Azerbaijan | 10.4% | 2022 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 84 | Hungary | 10.4% | 2021 | up 0.7% | falling |
| 85 | Norway | 10.1% | 2022 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 86 | Trinidad and Tobago | 10.1% | 2019 | down 35.1% | falling |
| 87 | Albania | 10.1% | 2023 | down 13.2% | rising |
| 88 | Mongolia | 10.0% | 2021 | down 28.1% | falling |
| 89 | Armenia | 10.0% | 2023 | up 13.9% | flat |
| 90 | Portugal | 9.8% | 2022 | down 10.7% | falling |
| 91 | Myanmar | 9.8% | 2019 | up 30.2% | falling |
| 92 | Bahamas | 9.6% | 2023 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 93 | Naoero | 9.6% | 2018 | — | falling |
| 94 | Lebanon | 9.4% | 2021 | up 25.6% | flat |
| 95 | Bulgaria | 9.4% | 2022 | down 2.9% | flat |
| 96 | Spain | 9.3% | 2023 | up 3.9% | falling |
| 97 | Germany | 9.2% | 2022 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 98 | Austria | 9.0% | 2022 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 99 | France | 9.0% | 2022 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 100 | Russian Federation | 8.9% | 2020 | down 8.6% | flat |
| 101 | Zambia | 8.8% | 2021 | down 33.0% | falling |
| 102 | Serbia | 8.7% | 2012 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 103 | Türkiye | 8.6% | 2023 | down 21.1% | rising |
| 104 | Cook Islands | 8.5% | 2022 | up 22.5% | falling |
| 105 | Bahrain | 8.4% | 2020 | down 28.1% | falling |
| 106 | Nigeria | 8.2% | 2013 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 107 | Afghanistan | 8.2% | 2017 | down 24.2% | falling |
| 108 | Andorra | 8.2% | 2023 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 109 | Romania | 8.1% | 2021 | down 21.1% | falling |
| 110 | San Marino | 8.0% | 2023 | — | falling |
| 111 | Sri Lanka | 7.9% | 2023 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 112 | Congo | 7.6% | 2012 | up 25.8% | rising |
| 113 | Japan | 7.5% | 2022 | down 11.6% | falling |
| 114 | Italy | 7.2% | 2022 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 115 | Greece | 7.2% | 2022 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 116 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 6.9% | 2020 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 117 | Papua New Guinea | 6.8% | 2023 | down 10.0% | falling |
| 118 | Ukraine | 6.3% | 2023 | down 58.2% | flat |
| 119 | Brazil | 6.1% | 2023 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 120 | Argentina | 5.6% | 2022 | down 9.2% | flat |
| 121 | Burkina Faso | 5.2% | 2022 | down 26.6% | falling |
| 122 | India | 2.7% | 2018 | up 11.3% | rising |
| 123 | Pakistan | 1.5% | 2015 | down 0.1% | rising |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release