Expenditure on primary education in Malaysia
Malaysia: Expenditure on primary education was 34.0% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on primary education in Malaysia, 1971–2018
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2018, expenditure on primary education in Malaysia stood at 34.0%.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on primary education in Malaysia peaked at 44.8% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 27.2%, in 2000.
Malaysia ranks 63rd of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Expenditure on primary education in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 44.8% | — |
| 1979 | 36.4% | -18.9% |
| 1980 | 34.2% | -5.9% |
| 1981 | 32.1% | -6.1% |
| 1982 | 32.4% | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 36.4% | +12.5% |
| 1985 | 34.6% | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 35.5% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 36.0% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 34.6% | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 33.5% | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 35.0% | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 28.6% | -18.3% |
| 1996 | 31.5% | +10.1% |
| 1997 | 28.1% | -10.6% |
| 2000 | 27.2% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 27.8% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 31.2% | +12.2% |
| 2003 | 29.3% | -6.1% |
| 2004 | 29.6% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 27.7% | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 29.8% | +7.6% |
| 2008 | 39.1% | +31.0% |
| 2009 | 27.7% | -29.2% |
| 2010 | 28.6% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 29.3% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 33.6% | +14.7% |
| 2013 | 32.1% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 32.2% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 33.2% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 33.8% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 33.8% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 34.0% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.6% | 36.4% | 44.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 34.4% | 32.1% | 36.4% | 7 |
| 1990s | 31.9% | 28.1% | 35.0% | 6 |
| 2000s | 29.9% | 27.2% | 39.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 32.3% | 28.6% | 34.0% | 9 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on primary education in Malaysia?
- Expenditure on primary education in Malaysia was 34.0% in 2018, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on primary education recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 44.8% in 1971.
- What is the lowest expenditure on primary education recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.2% in 2000.
- How does Malaysia rank for expenditure on primary education?
- Malaysia ranks 63rd out of 149 countries with data for 2018.
- Is expenditure on primary education rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.
Download this data
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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.