Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala
Guatemala: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 17.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala, 1993–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala is 17.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 24.9% on the previous year and down 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala peaked at 24.1% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1993.
Guatemala ranks 39th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 0.0% | — |
| 1994 | 0.0% | — |
| 1995 | 0.0% | — |
| 1996 | 18.7% | — |
| 2006 | 20.3% | +8.6% |
| 2007 | 21.3% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 23.3% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | -17.4% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 21.1% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 22.0% | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | +9.7% |
| 2016 | 23.4% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 23.7% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 23.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 21.1% | -11.0% |
| 2021 | 23.0% | +8.6% |
| 2022 | 22.5% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 22.6% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 23.0% | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 17.3% | -24.9% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 17.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.2%, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 17.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.4%, 1.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.7% | 0.0% | 18.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 21.7% | 20.3% | 23.3% | 3 |
| 2010s | 22.1% | 19.3% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.6% | 17.3% | 23.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More education data for Guatemala
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 122,548 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 247,917 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 335,306 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 328,468 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.3948 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1317 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Guatemala was 17.3% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 24.1% in 2015.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1993.
- How does Guatemala rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Guatemala ranks 39th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Guatemala 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