Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark
Denmark: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 14.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark, 1986–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark stood at 14.2%.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark peaked at 15.8% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 10.6%, in 1991.
That places Denmark 74th out of 197 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 11.5% | — |
| 1987 | 12.4% | +7.7% |
| 1988 | 12.4% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 11.2% | -9.9% |
| 1991 | 10.6% | -5.2% |
| 1993 | 13.9% | +30.9% |
| 1994 | 13.4% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 13.1% | -2.5% |
| 1996 | 14.1% | +7.5% |
| 1998 | 14.6% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 14.5% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 15.3% | +5.4% |
| 2001 | 15.5% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 15.5% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 15.2% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 15.5% | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 14.8% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 15.1% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 12.5% | -16.9% |
| 2013 | 15.2% | +21.8% |
| 2014 | 13.9% | -9.0% |
| 2016 | 14.7% | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 14.6% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 13.8% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 14.1% | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 14.2% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.9% | 11.2% | 12.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 13.5% | 10.6% | 14.6% | 7 |
| 2000s | 15.3% | 14.8% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.5% | 12.5% | 15.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 14.0% | 13.8% | 14.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More education data for Denmark
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 50,935 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2,888 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,481 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 88,072 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 522,143 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 432,238 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8558 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0723 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Denmark was 14.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 2005.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.6% in 1991.
- How does Denmark rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Denmark ranks 74th out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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 (%) (UIS calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release