Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati
Kiribati: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 20.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati, 1999–2024
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 Kiribati is 20.1%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 7.1% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati peaked at 24.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2001.
That places Kiribati 19th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 12.5% | — |
| 2000 | 15.3% | +22.0% |
| 2001 | 11.5% | -24.6% |
| 2012 | 24.3% | +111.1% |
| 2013 | 24.1% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 21.3% | -11.5% |
| 2015 | 20.1% | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 18.5% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 15.3% | -17.1% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | +35.1% |
| 2019 | 17.9% | -13.2% |
| 2020 | 20.2% | +12.5% |
| 2021 | 19.3% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 18.9% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 21.6% | +14.5% |
| 2024 | 20.1% | -7.1% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 20.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.3%, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 20.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.3%, 1.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +111.1% | 11.5% | 24.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 13.4% | 11.5% | 15.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 20.3% | 15.3% | 24.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 18.9% | 21.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
- 16 Costa Rica 20.4% compare
- 17 Burkina Faso 20.3% compare
- 18 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 20.2% compare
- 20 Kyrgyzstan 19.6% compare
- 21 Vanuatu 19.3% compare
- 22 Tajikistan 19.3% compare
More education data for Kiribati
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 969 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 608 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 16,846 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 17,457 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1298 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 17,457 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Kiribati was 20.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3% in 2012.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2001.
- How does Kiribati rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Kiribati ranks 19th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kiribati 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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CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release