Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia
Malaysia: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 18.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia, 2002–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
In 2023, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia stood at 18.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia peaked at 28.8% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 18.2%, in 2022.
That places Malaysia 17th out of 123 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 28.8% | — |
| 2003 | 25.9% | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 21.7% | -16.1% |
| 2005 | 21.1% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 21.9% | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 22.8% | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 22.9% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 24.8% | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 24.8% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 21.7% | -12.5% |
| 2012 | 21.8% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 21.6% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 22.0% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 23.3% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 22.0% | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 20.3% | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 18.2% | -7.5% |
| 2023 | 18.9% | +3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.7% | 21.1% | 28.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.9% | 18.2% | 19.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 14 Guatemala 19.3% compare
- 15 Nicaragua 19.2% compare
- 16 Mozambique 19.0% compare
- 18 Cape Verde 18.8% compare
- 19 South Africa 18.6% compare
- 20 Bangladesh 18.6% compare
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Malaysia was 18.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 2002.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2% in 2022.
- How does Malaysia rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Malaysia ranks 17th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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