Expenditure on education (public, households, ODA) as a percentage of GDP by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
70
Highest
9.0%
Costa Rica
Lowest
1.2%
Monaco
Median
5.7%
Years covered
24
2000–2023
Data points
706
What the numbers show
Expenditure on education (public, households, ODA) as a percentage of GDP is currently reported for 70 countries. The highest value is 9.0% in Costa Rica; the lowest is 1.2% in Monaco.
The median across all reporting countries is 5.7%, and the mean is 5.7%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 8.
Over the past decade 35 countries rose and 31 fell. The largest increase was in Macau, China (up 131.6%), and the largest decrease in Ireland (down 44.6%).
Expenditure on education (public, households, ODA) as a percentage of: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Costa Rica | 9.0% | 2021 | down 1.8% | flat |
| 2 | Iceland | 8.9% | 2021 | up 20.4% | rising |
| 3 | Macau, China | 8.9% | 2022 | up 131.6% | rising |
| 4 | Denmark | 8.5% | 2021 | down 4.2% | flat |
| 5 | Colombia | 8.3% | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 6 | Sweden | 7.8% | 2019 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 7 | Kenya | 7.7% | 2018 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 8 | Brazil | 7.5% | 2020 | up 6.9% | rising |
| 9 | Israel | 7.4% | 2021 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 10 | Norway | 7.2% | 2021 | up 9.8% | rising |
| 11 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 7.2% | 2019 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 12 | Chile | 7.2% | 2021 | up 10.9% | rising |
| 13 | India | 7.1% | 2020 | up 45.1% | rising |
| 14 | Republic of Korea | 7.1% | 2021 | up 24.2% | rising |
| 15 | Indonesia | 7.1% | 2015 | up 32.9% | rising |
| 16 | Bhutan | 7.0% | 2018 | up 86.7% | rising |
| 17 | Mongolia | 7.0% | 2017 | up 22.3% | rising |
| 18 | Cyprus | 7.0% | 2021 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 19 | Belgium | 6.9% | 2021 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 20 | Finland | 6.8% | 2021 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 21 | Niger | 6.8% | 2017 | up 76.6% | rising |
| 22 | Slovenia | 6.3% | 2021 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 23 | Malta | 6.3% | 2021 | down 22.8% | falling |
| 24 | Nicaragua | 6.2% | 2018 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 25 | Netherlands | 6.2% | 2021 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 26 | United States of America | 6.1% | 2021 | down 3.8% | flat |
| 27 | Portugal | 6.0% | 2021 | up 10.0% | flat |
| 28 | New Zealand | 6.0% | 2022 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 29 | Kyrgyzstan | 6.0% | 2021 | down 30.9% | falling |
| 30 | Spain | 5.9% | 2021 | up 6.2% | flat |
| 31 | Austria | 5.9% | 2021 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 32 | Peru | 5.9% | 2023 | down 6.5% | flat |
| 33 | Germany | 5.9% | 2021 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 34 | Ukraine | 5.7% | 2021 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 35 | France | 5.7% | 2021 | down 0.2% | flat |
| 36 | Argentina | 5.7% | 2019 | down 7.2% | rising |
| 37 | Hong Kong, China | 5.6% | 2023 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 38 | Poland | 5.6% | 2021 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 39 | El Salvador | 5.5% | 2023 | down 24.8% | falling |
| 40 | Hungary | 5.5% | 2021 | up 3.3% | flat |
| 41 | Bulgaria | 5.4% | 2021 | up 24.4% | rising |
| 42 | Mexico | 5.3% | 2021 | down 14.5% | flat |
| 43 | Belarus | 5.3% | 2023 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 44 | Switzerland | 5.3% | 2021 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 45 | Côte d'Ivoire | 5.2% | 2015 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 46 | Estonia | 5.2% | 2021 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 47 | Czechia | 5.2% | 2021 | up 10.5% | rising |
| 48 | Guatemala | 5.2% | 2022 | up 12.0% | rising |
| 49 | Malaysia | 5.1% | 2020 | down 15.3% | falling |
| 50 | Slovakia | 5.1% | 2021 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 51 | Latvia | 5.1% | 2021 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 52 | Uganda | 5.1% | 2014 | — | flat |
| 53 | Canada | 5.0% | 2021 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 54 | Italy | 4.8% | 2021 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 55 | Türkiye | 4.7% | 2021 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 56 | Barbados | 4.6% | 2023 | down 28.7% | falling |
| 57 | Lithuania | 4.5% | 2021 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 58 | Japan | 4.3% | 2021 | down 21.8% | falling |
| 59 | Azerbaijan | 4.2% | 2022 | up 56.4% | rising |
| 60 | Ethiopia | 4.1% | 2014 | — | falling |
| 61 | Serbia | 3.8% | 2022 | down 22.9% | falling |
| 62 | Luxembourg | 3.8% | 2021 | down 1.4% | flat |
| 63 | Georgia | 3.8% | 2023 | up 5.7% | flat |
| 64 | Andorra | 3.7% | 2019 | up 19.4% | rising |
| 65 | Ireland | 3.5% | 2021 | down 44.6% | falling |
| 66 | Romania | 3.3% | 2021 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 67 | Cameroon | 3.3% | 2014 | — | falling |
| 68 | Kazakhstan | 3.0% | 2019 | — | falling |
| 69 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 2.8% | 2020 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 70 | Monaco | 1.2% | 2022 | down 34.8% | falling |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release