Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal
Nepal: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 10.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal, 1998–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2025, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal stood at 10.8%.
The figure is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 36.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal peaked at 25.5% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1998.
That places Nepal 137th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.0% | — |
| 1999 | 0.0% | — |
| 2000 | 19.2% | — |
| 2001 | 21.7% | +13.1% |
| 2002 | 20.4% | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 21.3% | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 21.6% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 25.5% | +14.4% |
| 2007 | 21.1% | -17.1% |
| 2008 | 22.2% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 19.9% | -10.6% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | -19.3% |
| 2011 | 18.0% | +12.2% |
| 2012 | 17.4% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 17.6% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 18.3% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 17.0% | -7.1% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | +12.6% |
| 2017 | 17.1% | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | -17.5% |
| 2019 | 12.1% | -14.1% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | +23.9% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 12.4% | -13.6% |
| 2023 | 13.1% | +5.2% |
| 2024 | 11.3% | -13.9% |
| 2025 | 10.8% | -4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.5% | 19.2% | 25.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.7% | 12.1% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 10.8% | 15.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More education data for Nepal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 124,257 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 263,796 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 752,326 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 609,324 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.67 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.57 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1204 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nepal was 10.8% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 25.5% in 2006.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1998.
- How does Nepal rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Nepal ranks 137th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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