Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Small Island Developing States
SDG: Small Island Developing States: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 12.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Small Island Developing States, 2011–2025
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: Small Island Developing States is 12.3%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Small Island Developing States peaked at 15.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 2025.
SDG: Small Island Developing States ranks 32nd of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Small Island Developing States, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 13.8% | — |
| 2012 | 15.0% | +8.1% |
| 2013 | 14.8% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 15.7% | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 15.3% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 14.4% | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 14.1% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 14.7% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 12.8% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 13.0% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | +2.1% |
| 2025 | 12.3% | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.6% | 13.8% | 15.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 12.7% | 12.3% | 13.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near SDG: Small Island Developing States
- 29 Micronesia, Federated States of 18.6% compare
- 30 Chile 18.4% compare
- 31 Sao Tome and Principe 18.1% compare
- 32 Benin 18.0% compare
- 33 Madagascar 18.0% compare
- 34 Zimbabwe 17.9% compare
- 35 Jamaica 17.9% compare
More education data for SDG: Small Island Developing States
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.24 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.1626 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.33 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 430,327 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.1765 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.0678 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.021 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.756 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: Small Island Developing States was 12.3% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- The highest recorded value was 15.7% in 2014.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 2025.
- How does SDG: Small Island Developing States rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- SDG: Small Island Developing States ranks 32nd out of 43 groups with data for 2025.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in SDG: Small Island Developing States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this SDG: Small Island Developing States 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