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Expenditure on primary education (% of government expenditure on education) by country

Expenditure on primary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

Countries reporting
149
Highest
67.4%
Zambia
Lowest
12.5%
Romania
Median
32.2%
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
3,089

What the numbers show

Expenditure on primary education (% of government expenditure on education) is currently reported for 149 countries. The highest value is 67.4% in Zambia; the lowest is 12.5% in Romania.

The median across all reporting countries is 32.2%, and the mean is 34.4%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 5.

Over the past decade 46 countries rose and 84 fell. The largest increase was in Djibouti (up 143.8%), and the largest decrease in Namibia (down 73.3%).

Expenditure on primary education: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Zambia 67.4% 2017 up 12.7% rising
2 Togo 64.1% 2016 up 90.5% rising
3 Guinea 61.6% 2018 up 51.1% rising
4 Uganda 59.2% 2014 down 3.4% rising
5 Haiti 58.9% 1991 down 3.5% falling
6 Dominican Republic 58.7% 2007 up 11.8% rising
7 Burkina Faso 57.9% 2015 down 18.7% rising
8 Lesotho 56.0% 2018 up 55.5% rising
9 Mauritania 55.9% 2016 up 31.1% falling
10 Gambia 55.8% 2015 down 9.1% rising
11 Guatemala 55.6% 2018 down 7.0% flat
12 Philippines 55.0% 2009 down 9.1% falling
13 Comoros 54.6% 2015 up 20.8% rising
14 North Macedonia 54.5% 1996 — falling
15 Nepal 53.8% 2015 down 4.8% flat
16 Central African Republic 53.3% 2010 — falling
17 Eswatini 50.8% 2014 up 34.9% rising
18 Benin 49.8% 2015 up 8.4% flat
19 Tanzania, United Republic of 49.2% 2014 down 20.4% rising
20 Honduras 48.9% 2013 — falling
21 South Sudan 48.6% 2017 down 22.3% falling
22 Cambodia 48.5% 2014 down 25.0% falling
23 Niger 48.1% 2017 down 31.4% falling
24 Zimbabwe 47.8% 2014 — falling
25 Madagascar 47.4% 2012 down 17.4% rising
26 Côte d'Ivoire 47.3% 2018 up 9.8% rising
27 Chad 46.7% 2012 up 2.5% falling
28 El Salvador 46.2% 2018 up 21.5% falling
29 Burundi 45.4% 2013 up 6.0% rising
30 Serbia 45.3% 2015 down 5.8% falling
31 Mali 44.7% 2017 up 14.5% falling
32 Vanuatu 44.6% 2017 down 10.2% rising
33 Bangladesh 44.6% 2012 down 1.1% flat
34 Tonga 44.4% 2004 up 56.1% falling
35 Afghanistan 44.2% 2017 down 28.9% rising
36 Malawi 43.9% 2016 down 20.0% rising
37 Türkiye 43.0% 1995 down 4.8% flat
38 Djibouti 42.8% 2016 up 143.8% falling
39 Indonesia 42.6% 2015 down 12.0% rising
40 Jordan 42.2% 2018 — rising
41 Thailand 41.1% 2013 up 32.7% falling
42 Lao People's Democratic Republic 40.6% 2014 down 35.0% flat
43 Nicaragua 39.8% 2010 — falling
44 Trinidad and Tobago 39.2% 2003 down 8.2% rising
45 Israel 38.9% 2016 up 4.4% rising
46 Syrian Arab Republic 38.9% 2009 down 10.9% rising
47 South Africa 38.7% 2018 down 4.9% falling
48 Liechtenstein 38.6% 2011 up 32.0% rising
49 Fiji 38.6% 2013 down 1.2% falling
50 Cape Verde 38.1% 2017 down 7.1% falling
51 Morocco 37.7% 2009 down 3.1% flat
52 Ireland 37.3% 2016 up 10.2% flat
53 Samoa 37.0% 2016 down 19.1% rising
54 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 36.9% 2018 down 28.9% falling
55 Paraguay 36.4% 2016 down 7.1% falling
56 Maldives 36.4% 2016 down 27.7% falling
57 Kenya 36.3% 2015 down 41.5% falling
58 Myanmar 36.3% 2019 down 28.0% falling
59 Saint Lucia 35.1% 2018 down 18.0% falling
60 San Marino 34.4% 2017 up 8.7% falling
61 Kiribati 34.3% 2001 — falling
62 Jamaica 34.2% 2018 up 13.0% flat
63 Malaysia 34.0% 2018 down 12.9% falling
64 Peru 33.9% 2018 down 16.3% flat
65 Cameroon 33.9% 2013 down 3.4% falling
66 Iran, Islamic Republic of 33.1% 2018 up 18.7% falling
67 Australia 33.0% 2016 down 5.7% rising
68 Bahrain 33.0% 2015 — falling
69 Oman 33.0% 2009 down 11.9% falling
70 Cyprus 32.7% 2016 up 17.8% falling
71 Colombia 32.7% 2018 down 12.3% falling
72 China 32.6% 1999 up 0.0% rising
73 Mexico 32.5% 2016 down 16.4% rising
74 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 32.3% 2016 up 9.8% rising
75 Mongolia 32.2% 2017 up 20.6% rising
76 Bermuda 32.2% 2017 down 21.1% falling
77 Latvia 32.0% 2016 up 26.3% rising
78 Bhutan 32.0% 2014 up 65.1% rising
79 Poland 31.7% 2016 down 2.5% falling
80 Republic of Korea 31.7% 2016 — falling
81 Senegal 31.7% 2018 down 29.5% falling
82 Luxembourg 31.6% 2015 — falling
83 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 31.5% 2009 up 36.4% falling
84 Belize 31.4% 2017 down 33.7% falling
85 Pakistan 31.1% 2015 — rising
86 Sierra Leone 31.0% 2018 down 38.2% falling
87 Congo 31.0% 2010 down 12.3% falling
88 Seychelles 30.6% 2016 down 6.9% falling
89 Guyana 30.6% 2012 down 29.1% falling
90 British Virgin Islands 29.9% 2017 up 5.0% falling
91 Sri Lanka 29.9% 2018 up 5.5% falling
92 Viet Nam 29.7% 2013 up 1.0% flat
93 Barbados 29.6% 2016 up 6.1% flat
94 Argentina 29.6% 2017 down 16.6% rising
95 Gabon 29.2% 2014 — falling
96 Cuba 29.0% 2010 down 15.8% flat
97 Portugal 29.0% 2015 down 5.5% falling
98 Switzerland 28.9% 2016 down 1.0% falling
99 Slovenia 28.8% 2016 up 32.2% rising
100 Costa Rica 28.7% 2018 down 27.5% rising
101 Rwanda 28.6% 2018 down 37.4% falling
102 India 28.4% 2013 down 21.3% falling
103 Iceland 27.9% 2016 down 19.3% falling
104 Chile 27.9% 2017 down 21.3% falling
105 Tunisia 27.7% 2008 down 19.8% falling
106 Aruba 27.5% 2016 up 3.0% flat
107 Ethiopia 27.5% 2015 down 19.1% falling
108 Denmark 27.2% 2014 up 18.8% falling
109 Greece 27.0% 1991 down 17.8% falling
110 Spain 26.9% 2016 up 4.8% falling
111 New Zealand 26.1% 2016 — falling
112 Brazil 25.6% 2015 down 24.7% falling
113 Estonia 25.0% 2016 down 1.3% falling
114 Malta 24.3% 2015 up 15.1% falling
115 Sweden 24.1% 2016 down 3.2% falling
116 Italy 23.9% 2016 down 4.4% falling
117 Belgium 23.8% 2016 — flat
118 Panama 23.5% 2011 down 29.7% falling
119 Republic of Moldova 23.3% 2018 up 34.4% rising
120 Ecuador 23.3% 2015 down 36.0% falling
121 Uruguay 23.1% 2017 down 30.6% falling
122 Norway 22.8% 2016 down 10.9% falling
123 Mauritius 22.8% 2018 down 19.6% falling
124 Slovakia 22.2% 2016 up 26.2% falling
125 Hong Kong, China 22.1% 2018 up 3.2% falling
126 Puerto Rico 22.0% 2014 — falling
127 Singapore 22.0% 2013 down 2.2% falling
128 Ghana 21.7% 2014 down 45.4% rising
129 Ukraine 21.7% 2017 up 38.8% volatile
130 Andorra 21.4% 2018 down 16.5% falling
131 Saint Kitts and Nevis 21.4% 2015 — falling
132 Netherlands 21.2% 2016 — rising
133 Finland 20.5% 2016 down 0.5% falling
134 Kuwait 20.4% 2006 down 42.0% falling
135 France 20.1% 1999 down 2.1% falling
136 Bulgaria 19.7% 2013 up 3.1% falling
137 Brunei Darussalam 19.5% 2016 down 31.6% falling
138 Turks and Caicos Islands 19.4% 2018 down 35.3% falling
139 Armenia 19.4% 2017 up 3.7% flat
140 Lithuania 18.9% 2016 up 25.6% rising
141 Botswana 17.8% 2009 — falling
142 Qatar 17.6% 2009 — falling
143 Namibia 16.9% 2014 down 73.3% falling
144 Austria 16.6% 2016 down 10.6% falling
145 Hungary 16.2% 2016 down 16.8% falling
146 Czechia 13.2% 2016 down 2.4% falling
147 Germany 12.9% 2016 down 12.3% rising
148 Monaco 12.7% 2016 down 17.5% falling
149 Romania 12.5% 2016 down 66.4% falling

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Expenditure on primary education by country. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-primary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on primary education (% of government expenditure on education)
Unit
% of government expenditure on education
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
173 places, 3,089 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expenditure on primary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.