Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Namibia
Namibia: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 24.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Namibia, 1999–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 24.6% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2025.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 8.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Namibia peaked at 29.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 2003.
That places Namibia 5th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Namibia, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 23.0% | — |
| 2000 | 21.9% | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 22.8% | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 21.8% | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 20.3% | -6.9% |
| 2006 | 21.6% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 24.9% | +15.1% |
| 2010 | 26.1% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 24.4% | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 23.0% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 24.1% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 24.0% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 23.9% | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 24.7% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 23.3% | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 29.1% | +24.6% |
| 2020 | 24.9% | -14.2% |
| 2021 | 25.1% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 24.7% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 25.1% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 24.6% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.0% | 23.0% | 23.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 22.2% | 20.3% | 24.9% | 6 |
| 2010s | 24.5% | 22.6% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.9% | 24.6% | 25.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Namibia?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Namibia was 24.6% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 2003.
- How does Namibia rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Namibia ranks 5th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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