Expenditure on secondary education in Australia
Australia: Expenditure on secondary education was 31.3% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on secondary 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 31.3% for expenditure on secondary education in 2016.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on secondary education in Australia peaked at 41.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 30.5%, in 2015.
That places Australia 88th out of 149 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.
Expenditure on secondary education in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 41.8% | — |
| 1994 | 38.8% | -7.4% |
| 1995 | 37.6% | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 39.5% | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 38.6% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 39.7% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 39.6% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 38.9% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 38.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 37.8% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 36.8% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 36.6% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 35.3% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 33.1% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 32.4% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 30.5% | -5.7% |
| 2016 | 31.3% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.4% | 37.6% | 41.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 38.9% | 37.8% | 39.7% | 6 |
| 2010s | 33.7% | 30.5% | 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 secondary education in Australia?
- Expenditure on secondary education in Australia was 31.3% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on secondary education recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 41.8% in 1993.
- What is the lowest expenditure on secondary education recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.5% in 2015.
- How does Australia rank for expenditure on secondary education?
- Australia ranks 88th out of 149 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on secondary education rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 secondary 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 secondary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.