Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway
Norway: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 14.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
14.5%
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
67th
of 197 countries
All-time high
17.3%
in 2012
All-time low
13.2%
in 1988
Years of data
42
1981–2022
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway, 1981–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway stood at 14.5%.
The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway peaked at 17.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 1988.
Norway ranks 67th of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 14.5% | — |
| 1982 | 14.5% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 14.3% | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 14.1% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 14.1% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 14.0% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 14.3% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 13.2% | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 13.9% | +5.3% |
| 1990 | 13.9% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 13.7% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 13.7% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 15.7% | +15.2% |
| 1994 | 16.4% | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 16.7% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 15.8% | -5.4% |
| 1997 | 16.1% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 15.4% | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 15.0% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 15.6% | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 15.8% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 15.5% | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 16.3% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 16.4% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 15.7% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 15.7% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 15.5% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 15.1% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 17.3% | +16.6% |
| 2013 | 17.1% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 16.9% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 15.6% | -7.7% |
| 2016 | 15.8% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 15.9% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 15.9% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 15.7% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 15.0% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 14.5% | -3.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.1% | 13.2% | 14.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 15.2% | 13.7% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.8% | 15.5% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.0% | 14.8% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.8% | 14.5% | 15.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More education data for Norway
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 59,473 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (1993)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,282 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 80,636 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 469,508 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 434,422 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.7841 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.078 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Norway was 14.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 17.3% in 2012.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 1988.
- How does Norway rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Norway ranks 67th out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway 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