Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Least Developed Countries
SDG: Least Developed Countries: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 13.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Least Developed Countries, 2000–2024
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 SDG: Least Developed Countries is 13.4%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Least Developed Countries peaked at 16.2% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2001.
SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 19th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Least Developed Countries, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.1% | — |
| 2001 | 12.7% | -16.1% |
| 2002 | 14.0% | +10.3% |
| 2004 | 15.8% | +13.4% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 16.2% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 16.1% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 13.4% | -16.7% |
| 2011 | 14.6% | +9.0% |
| 2012 | 14.0% | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 15.3% | +9.9% |
| 2014 | 13.7% | -10.5% |
| 2015 | 13.3% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 14.0% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 14.8% | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 14.5% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 13.7% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 13.6% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 14.1% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 13.1% | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 13.7% | +4.4% |
| 2024 | 13.4% | -2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.2% | 12.7% | 16.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 14.1% | 13.3% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.6% | 13.1% | 14.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Least Developed Countries
- 16 Costa Rica 20.4% compare
- 17 Burkina Faso 20.3% compare
- 18 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 20.2% compare
- 19 Kiribati 20.1% compare
- 20 Kyrgyzstan 19.6% compare
- 21 Vanuatu 19.3% compare
- 22 Tajikistan 19.3% compare
More education data for SDG: Least Developed Countries
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 75.92 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 36.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 11.66 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.684 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.43 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 11.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7503 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9918 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Least Developed Countries was 13.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2% in 2008.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 2001.
- How does SDG: Least Developed Countries rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- SDG: Least Developed Countries ranks 19th out of 43 groups with data for 2024.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in SDG: Least Developed Countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Least Developed Countries 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release