Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 17.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Zimbabwe, 2010–2025
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 Zimbabwe is 17.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.7% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Zimbabwe peaked at 30.0% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2010.
Zimbabwe ranks 34th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | UIS calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.5% | — |
| 2012 | 29.8% | +248.5% |
| 2013 | 28.7% | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 30.0% | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 29.5% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 23.5% | -20.2% |
| 2017 | 19.7% | -16.3% |
| 2018 | 19.2% | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 10.5% | -45.4% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | +49.7% |
| 2023 | 10.7% | -31.8% |
| 2024 | 16.3% | +52.7% |
| 2025 | 17.9% | +9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.1% | 8.5% | 30.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 15.1% | 10.7% | 17.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 31 Sao Tome and Principe 18.1% compare
- 32 Benin 18.0% compare
- 33 Madagascar 18.0% compare
- 35 Jamaica 17.9% compare
- 36 Mali 17.8% compare
- 37 Côte d'Ivoire 17.6% compare
More education data for Zimbabwe
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,585 (2013)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 12,514 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 328,055 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 322,698 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 957,461 (2013)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.94 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.4866 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1767 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Zimbabwe?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Zimbabwe was 17.9% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 30.0% in 2014.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2010.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Zimbabwe ranks 34th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release