Expenditure on primary education in Australia
Australia: Expenditure on primary education was 33.0% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on primary education in Australia, 1993–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Australia recorded 33.0% for expenditure on primary education in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.8% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on primary education in Australia peaked at 36.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 29.3%, in 1996.
That places Australia 67th out of 149 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Expenditure on primary education in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 29.3% | — |
| 1994 | 31.2% | +6.3% |
| 1995 | 30.9% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 29.3% | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 34.1% | +16.3% |
| 2005 | 34.6% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 35.0% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 35.1% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 35.4% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 36.0% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 36.8% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 36.0% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 34.1% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 32.8% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 32.6% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 31.8% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 33.0% | +3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.2% | 29.3% | 31.2% | 4 |
| 2000s | 35.0% | 34.1% | 36.0% | 6 |
| 2010s | 33.9% | 31.8% | 36.8% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on primary education in Australia?
- Expenditure on primary education in Australia was 33.0% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on primary education recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest expenditure on primary education recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.3% in 1996.
- How does Australia rank for expenditure on primary education?
- Australia ranks 67th out of 149 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on primary education rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on primary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.