Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 10.1% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Trinidad and Tobago, 2001–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
Trinidad and Tobago recorded 10.1% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 21.1% on the previous year and down 35.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 17.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 10.1%, in 2019.
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 86th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 17.1% | — |
| 2002 | 16.5% | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 16.4% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 17.0% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 16.9% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | -25.2% |
| 2007 | 14.2% | +12.3% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | -6.6% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | +17.3% |
| 2010 | 14.7% | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 12.2% | -17.1% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | +24.9% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 14.1% | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 12.6% | -17.1% |
| 2017 | 14.3% | +13.5% |
| 2018 | 12.8% | -10.7% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | -21.1% |
Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries
- Trinidad and Tobago's 10.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 11.2%, 90% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Trinidad and Tobago's 10.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16.6%, 61% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.5% | 12.6% | 17.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 13.6% | 10.1% | 15.2% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More education data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7,950 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 8,036 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12,546 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12,926 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,195 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126,491 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0924 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Trinidad and Tobago was 10.1% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.1% in 2019.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 86th out of 123 countries with data for 2019.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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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CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release