Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Germany
Germany: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 9.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Germany, 2000–2022
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 Germany is 9.2%, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Germany peaked at 9.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2000.
That places Germany 97th out of 123 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Germany, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.5% | — |
| 2001 | 8.8% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 8.7% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 8.6% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 9.0% | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 8.9% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 9.7% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 9.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 9.6% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.6% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 9.7% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 9.3% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 9.1% | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 9.2% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.8% | 8.5% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 9.1% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.2% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Germany?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Germany was 9.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 2014.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2000.
- How does Germany rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Germany ranks 97th out of 123 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany 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