Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan
Bhutan: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 21.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan, 2000–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan is 21.4%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 22.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan peaked at 21.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 11.3%, in 2001.
That places Bhutan 6th out of 123 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.4% | — |
| 2001 | 11.3% | -15.7% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | +29.3% |
| 2003 | 14.9% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 13.3% | -10.9% |
| 2005 | 19.8% | +48.7% |
| 2006 | 19.4% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 19.7% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 16.3% | -17.5% |
| 2009 | 17.7% | +9.0% |
| 2010 | 17.5% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 21.3% | +21.9% |
| 2012 | 20.6% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 18.8% | -8.7% |
| 2015 | 21.1% | +11.9% |
| 2016 | 19.4% | -7.8% |
| 2017 | 21.7% | +11.6% |
| 2018 | 19.3% | -10.9% |
| 2019 | 21.6% | +11.7% |
| 2020 | 21.4% | -0.7% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 21.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.4%, 1.5× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 21.4% is above the median for South Asia, which is 13.5%, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.1% | 11.3% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.2% | 17.5% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.4% | 21.4% | 21.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 3 Marshall Islands 24.8% compare
- 4 Namibia 24.0% compare
- 5 Botswana 22.0%
- 7 Palestine, State of 20.7% compare
- 8 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 20.4% compare
- 9 Kazakhstan 19.9% compare
More education data for Bhutan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,995 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,961 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,905 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,735 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 67,821 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,759 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1159 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Bhutan was 21.4% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 2017.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.3% in 2001.
- How does Bhutan rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Bhutan ranks 6th out of 123 countries with data for 2020.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release