Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in El Salvador
El Salvador: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 12.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in El Salvador, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 12.5% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 34.3% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in El Salvador peaked at 18.0% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 2017.
El Salvador ranks 62nd of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.8% | — |
| 2001 | 16.7% | +6.1% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | -12.2% |
| 2003 | 14.5% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 18.0% | +23.8% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | -21.7% |
| 2006 | 14.2% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 13.8% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 13.1% | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 16.9% | +29.1% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | -8.5% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | -19.0% |
| 2012 | 16.0% | +27.7% |
| 2013 | 14.0% | -12.3% |
| 2014 | 15.6% | +11.0% |
| 2015 | 17.2% | +10.5% |
| 2016 | 16.2% | -6.1% |
| 2017 | 8.6% | -46.8% |
| 2018 | 14.8% | +72.0% |
| 2019 | 14.3% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 11.9% | -17.2% |
| 2021 | 12.0% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 9.3% | -22.0% |
| 2023 | 12.5% | +34.3% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 12.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 12.8%, 98% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 12.5% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16.6%, 75% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.2% | 13.1% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 8.6% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.4% | 9.3% | 12.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More education data for El Salvador
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 17,715 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 21,853 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 100,826 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 100,758 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 417,193 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 594,860 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0939 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in El Salvador?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in El Salvador was 12.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 18.0% in 2004.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 2017.
- How does El Salvador rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- El Salvador ranks 62nd out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador 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