Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World

SDG: World: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 12.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
12.7%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
24th
of 43 groups
All-time high
14.4%
in 2002
All-time low
12.7%
in 2022
Years of data
20
2000–2023

Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World, 2000–2023

0510152000201120232000: 13.7 UIS calculation2001: 14 UIS calculation2002: 14.4 UIS calculation2004: 13.9 UIS calculation2008: 14 UIS calculation2009: 13.5 UIS calculation2010: 13.2 UIS calculation2011: 13.3 UIS calculation2012: 13.6 UIS calculation2013: 14.2 UIS calculation2014: 13.9 UIS calculation2015: 13.5 UIS calculation2016: 13.7 UIS calculation2017: 14 UIS calculation2018: 14.1 UIS calculation2019: 13.5 UIS calculation2020: 12.8 UIS calculation2021: 12.8 UIS calculation2022: 12.7 UIS calculation2023: 12.7 UIS calculation

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.

Analysis

SDG: World recorded 12.7% for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World peaked at 14.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2022.

SDG: World ranks 24th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World, year by year

Annual values for Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation) in SDG: World, 2000 to 2023.
Year UIS calculation Change
2000 13.7%
2001 14.0% +2.4%
2002 14.4% +2.6%
2004 13.9% -3.6%
2008 14.0% +1.4%
2009 13.5% -3.6%
2010 13.2% -2.6%
2011 13.3% +0.8%
2012 13.6% +2.2%
2013 14.2% +4.6%
2014 13.9% -2.6%
2015 13.5% -2.3%
2016 13.7% +1.2%
2017 14.0% +2.0%
2018 14.1% +1.0%
2019 13.5% -4.0%
2020 12.8% -5.3%
2021 12.8% -0.4%
2022 12.7% -0.5%
2023 12.7% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13.9% 13.5% 14.4% 6
2010s 13.7% 13.2% 14.2% 10
2020s 12.8% 12.7% 12.8% 4

Countries ranked near SDG: World

  1. 21 Vanuatu 19.3% compare
  2. 22 Tajikistan 19.3% compare
  3. 23 Eswatini 19.2% compare
  4. 24 Peru 19.2% compare
  5. 25 Syrian Arab Republic 19.2% compare
  6. 26 South Africa 19.1% compare
  7. 27 Belize 18.9% compare

See the full ranking of 240 places →

More education data for SDG: World

All data for SDG: World →

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World?
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World was 12.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: World?
The highest recorded value was 14.4% in 2002.
What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in SDG: World?
The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 2022.
How does SDG: World rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
SDG: World ranks 24th out of 43 groups with data for 2023.
Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in SDG: World?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this SDG: World 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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Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in SDG: World. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-total-government-expenditure-percent-uis/sdg-world/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (UIS calculation)
Unit
UIS calculation
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
240 places, 5,509 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release