Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland
Switzerland: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 15.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
15.9%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
30th
of 123 countries
All-time high
15.9%
in 2023
All-time low
14.1%
in 2000
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
In 2023, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland stood at 15.9%. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland peaked at 15.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2000.
Switzerland ranks 30th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.1% | — |
| 2001 | 14.8% | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 14.7% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 15.3% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 15.1% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 15.2% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 15.4% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 15.2% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 15.3% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 15.3% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 15.4% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 15.4% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 15.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 14.6% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 15.9% | +2.9% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 15.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.2%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 15.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.6%, 1.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.0% | 14.1% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 15.1% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.0% | 14.2% | 15.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 27 Philippines 16.1% compare
- 28 Madagascar 16.0% compare
- 29 Republic of Moldova 15.9% compare
- 31 Yemen 15.7% compare
- 32 Palau 15.7% compare
- 33 Tunisia 15.3% compare
More education data for Switzerland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,266 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 5,583 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,990 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 89,549 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 636,381 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 556,945 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0618 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Switzerland was 15.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2000.
- How does Switzerland rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Switzerland ranks 30th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Switzerland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release