Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary
Hungary: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 10.4% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary, 2000–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
In 2021, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary stood at 10.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.0% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary peaked at 13.1% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2020.
That places Hungary 84th out of 123 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.2% | — |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | +17.4% |
| 2004 | 12.1% | -7.4% |
| 2005 | 12.1% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 11.1% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 10.9% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 9.5% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 9.4% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 10.4% | +10.4% |
| 2015 | 10.3% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 10.6% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 10.8% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 10.2% | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 9.3% | -8.4% |
| 2021 | 10.4% | +11.0% |
Hungary compared with similar countries
- Hungary's 10.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.2%, 93% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Hungary's 10.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.6%, 97% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.5% | 10.6% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.4% | 9.4% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.8% | 9.3% | 10.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Hungary
More education data for Hungary
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 78,564 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 6,790 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 163,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 150,126 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 815,267 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 384,692 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9656 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0402 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Hungary was 10.4% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Hungary?
- The highest recorded value was 13.1% in 2003.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Hungary?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2020.
- How does Hungary rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Hungary ranks 84th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Hungary?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hungary 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