Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal
Nepal: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 12.8% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal, 2000–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
Nepal recorded 12.8% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.9% on the previous year and down 37.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal peaked at 21.4% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2019.
That places Nepal 56th 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 Nepal, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.3% | — |
| 2001 | 14.9% | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 17.8% | +19.0% |
| 2003 | 17.8% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 18.4% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 19.4% | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 20.4% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 18.3% | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 19.5% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 17.7% | -9.4% |
| 2010 | 19.9% | +12.3% |
| 2011 | 20.6% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 21.1% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 20.7% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 21.4% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 18.2% | -15.0% |
| 2016 | 15.1% | -17.0% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 4.7% | -68.8% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | -18.7% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +203.2% |
| 2021 | 12.8% | +11.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.0% | 14.9% | 20.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 3.8% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.1% | 11.5% | 12.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal was 12.8% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 21.4% in 2014.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2019.
- How does Nepal rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Nepal ranks 56th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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