Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands
Netherlands: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 12.0% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands, 1981–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands stood at 12.0%.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands peaked at 12.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 1996.
Netherlands ranks 113th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 12.1% | — |
| 1982 | 11.4% | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 10.6% | -6.7% |
| 1984 | 9.9% | -7.2% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | +6.4% |
| 1986 | 10.8% | +3.2% |
| 1987 | 11.3% | +4.3% |
| 1988 | 10.6% | -6.5% |
| 1990 | 11.0% | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 11.1% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 9.7% | -12.7% |
| 1994 | 9.6% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 9.7% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 8.7% | -10.0% |
| 1998 | 10.2% | +16.8% |
| 1999 | 10.2% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 10.6% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 10.6% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 10.7% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 11.0% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 11.3% | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 11.7% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 11.2% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 11.1% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 11.3% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 11.3% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 11.5% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 11.6% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 11.7% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 12.3% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 11.9% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 12.4% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 12.0% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 11.1% | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 11.7% | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 12.0% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.9% | 9.9% | 12.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 10.0% | 8.7% | 11.1% | 8 |
| 2000s | 11.1% | 10.6% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.7% | 11.2% | 12.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.6% | 11.1% | 12.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Netherlands was 12.0% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 1996.
- How does Netherlands rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Netherlands ranks 113th out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Netherlands 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