Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda
Uganda: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 8.5% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda, 1982–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in UIS calculation.
Analysis
In 2022, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda stood at 8.5%.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and down 25.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda peaked at 20.3% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1982.
That places Uganda 173rd out of 197 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1983 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1988 | 0.0% | — |
| 2000 | 10.4% | — |
| 2004 | 20.3% | +96.1% |
| 2010 | 10.1% | -50.2% |
| 2011 | 13.6% | +34.7% |
| 2012 | 11.5% | -15.9% |
| 2013 | 11.7% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 11.7% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 13.2% | +12.9% |
| 2016 | 12.5% | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 12.2% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 11.3% | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 8.9% | -20.9% |
| 2020 | 8.5% | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 8.2% | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 8.5% | +3.3% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 8.5% is below the median for low income countries, which is 14.4%, 59% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 8.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.2%, 60% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +96.1% | 10.4% | 20.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 15.3% | 10.4% | 20.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 11.7% | 8.9% | 13.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.4% | 8.2% | 8.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More education data for Uganda
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 63,957 (2014)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 778,349 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 301,523 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 307,450 (2017)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.03 million (2007)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.84 million (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.22 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Uganda was 8.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2004.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1982.
- How does Uganda rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Uganda ranks 173rd out of 197 countries with data for 2022.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Uganda 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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CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release