Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 18.6% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bangladesh, 2001–2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 18.6% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2016.
The figure is up 16.3% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bangladesh peaked at 19.7% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2009.
That places Bangladesh 20th out of 123 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 19.7% | — |
| 2002 | 18.5% | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 17.9% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 17.0% | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 15.0% | -11.8% |
| 2006 | 15.9% | +5.8% |
| 2007 | 16.6% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 15.0% | -9.3% |
| 2009 | 14.1% | -6.2% |
| 2010 | 16.9% | +19.5% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 16.1% | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 15.9% | +10.4% |
| 2015 | 16.0% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | +16.3% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 18.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.4%, 1.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 18.6% is above the median for South Asia, which is 13.5%, 1.4× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.7% | 14.1% | 19.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 14.4% | 18.6% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 17 Malaysia 18.9% compare
- 18 Cape Verde 18.8% compare
- 19 South Africa 18.6% compare
- 21 Kenya 18.4% compare
- 22 Costa Rica 18.0% compare
- 23 Jamaica 17.7% compare
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bangladesh?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bangladesh was 18.6% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 2001.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2009.
- How does Bangladesh rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Bangladesh ranks 20th out of 123 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release