Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica
Jamaica: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 17.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
17.9%
Change on year
up 5.5%
World rank
35th
of 197 countries
All-time high
21.8%
in 2014
All-time low
0.0%
in 1985
Years of data
34
1985–2024
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2024, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica stood at 17.9%.
That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica peaked at 21.8% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1985.
Jamaica ranks 35th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | — |
| 1988 | 0.0% | — |
| 1989 | 0.0% | — |
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1991 | 16.4% | — |
| 1992 | 12.8% | -22.0% |
| 1993 | 12.8% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 18.4% | +43.7% |
| 1995 | 15.4% | -16.5% |
| 1996 | 15.5% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 15.4% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 16.8% | +9.1% |
| 2001 | 20.0% | +19.0% |
| 2002 | 18.4% | -8.1% |
| 2003 | 13.4% | -27.2% |
| 2004 | 11.7% | -12.2% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | +21.6% |
| 2007 | 17.2% | +20.3% |
| 2008 | 19.1% | +11.3% |
| 2009 | 17.6% | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | +15.4% |
| 2012 | 18.8% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | +9.4% |
| 2014 | 21.8% | +5.9% |
| 2015 | 20.1% | -8.0% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 18.4% | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 17.3% | -6.8% |
| 2021 | 17.4% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 16.9% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 17.9% | +5.5% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 17.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.2%, 1.4× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 17.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4 |
| 1990s | 13.3% | 0.0% | 18.4% | 8 |
| 2000s | 16.5% | 11.7% | 20.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 16.1% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 16.9% | 17.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More education data for Jamaica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 11,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,597 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Jamaica was 17.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8% in 2014.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1985.
- How does Jamaica rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Jamaica ranks 35th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica 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