Expenditure on secondary education in European Union
European Union: Expenditure on secondary education was 37.3% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on secondary education in European Union, 1979–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on secondary education in European Union stood at 37.3%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on secondary education in European Union peaked at 45.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 37.3%, in 2016.
That places European Union 4th out of 24 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Expenditure on secondary education in European Union, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 38.3% | — |
| 1988 | 43.5% | +13.6% |
| 1993 | 40.9% | -6.1% |
| 1994 | 41.0% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 45.5% | +10.9% |
| 1996 | 43.0% | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 40.4% | -6.0% |
| 1999 | 43.4% | +7.3% |
| 2000 | 43.0% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 42.1% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 41.4% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | +7.2% |
| 2004 | 41.2% | -7.1% |
| 2005 | 42.8% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 42.6% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 41.9% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 42.1% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 40.6% | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 41.4% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 39.9% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 38.0% | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 38.1% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 40.0% | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 37.5% | -6.3% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.3% | 38.3% | 38.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 43.5% | 43.5% | 43.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 42.4% | 40.4% | 45.5% | 6 |
| 2000s | 42.2% | 40.6% | 44.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.9% | 37.3% | 41.4% | 7 |
Countries ranked near European Union
More education data for European Union
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 14.2% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.3% (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0517 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 1.89 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.26 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on secondary education in European Union?
- Expenditure on secondary education in European Union was 37.3% 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 European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 45.5% in 1995.
- What is the lowest expenditure on secondary education recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.3% in 2016.
- How does European Union rank for expenditure on secondary education?
- European Union ranks 4th out of 24 groups with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on secondary education rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this European Union 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.
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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.