Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia
Estonia: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 13.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia, 1992–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia stood at 13.0%.
That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia peaked at 19.7% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1992.
That places Estonia 91st 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 30 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0.0% | — |
| 1993 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 0.0% | — |
| 1996 | 19.7% | — |
| 1997 | 17.7% | -10.1% |
| 1998 | 16.0% | -9.5% |
| 1999 | 16.4% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 14.7% | -10.3% |
| 2001 | 14.8% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 15.2% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 15.0% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 14.3% | -4.9% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 13.9% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 12.9% | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 13.6% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 13.3% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 11.9% | -10.6% |
| 2013 | 12.5% | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 11.5% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 12.9% | +11.7% |
| 2016 | 13.0% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 13.2% | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 13.2% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 12.2% | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 12.4% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 13.0% | +5.2% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 13.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 1.1× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 13.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.9%, 1.1× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.7% | 0.0% | 19.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 14.3% | 12.9% | 15.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 12.8% | 11.5% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.2% | 13.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More education data for Estonia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9,391 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 706 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 27,252 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 25,046 (2012)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 103,245 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 89,246 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.065 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Estonia was 13.0% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 1996.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1992.
- How does Estonia rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Estonia ranks 91st out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Estonia 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