Statizoid

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

Expenditure on tertiary 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
160
Highest
50.6%
Namibia
Lowest
0.0%
Saint Lucia
Median
20.3%
Years covered
50
1970–2019
Data points
3,723

What the numbers show

Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education) is currently reported for 160 countries. The highest value is 50.6% in Namibia; the lowest is 0.0% in Saint Lucia.

The median across all reporting countries is 20.3%, and the mean is 20.3%.

Over the past decade 80 countries rose and 64 fell. The largest increase was in Namibia (up 455.6%), and the largest decrease in Saint Lucia (down 100.0%).

Expenditure on tertiary education: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Namibia 50.6% 2014 up 455.6% volatile
2 Ethiopia 47.9% 2015 up 22.3% volatile
3 Sierra Leone 46.4% 2018 up 122.5% rising
4 Ecuador 43.5% 2015 up 44.0% rising
5 Botswana 41.5% 2009 — rising
6 Egypt 39.6% 1996 up 23.4% rising
7 Gabon 37.8% 2014 — volatile
8 Macau, China 37.1% 2017 up 0.7% rising
9 Puerto Rico 36.8% 2014 — rising
10 Greece 36.1% 2005 up 16.5% rising
11 Canada 35.6% 2011 up 14.8% rising
12 Singapore 35.3% 2013 up 8.3% rising
13 British Virgin Islands 35.1% 2017 up 5.9% volatile
14 Bangladesh 33.3% 2016 up 157.4% rising
15 Senegal 32.8% 2018 up 33.8% rising
16 Kuwait 32.6% 2006 down 6.8% rising
17 Austria 32.5% 2016 up 19.6% rising
18 Netherlands 31.9% 2016 — rising
19 Türkiye 31.9% 2006 down 8.1% rising
20 Chad 31.7% 2013 up 80.3% rising
21 South Sudan 31.5% 2017 up 24.2% rising
22 Denmark 30.7% 2014 up 2.9% rising
23 Serbia 29.9% 2017 up 15.8% rising
24 Hong Kong, China 29.4% 2018 down 4.7% rising
25 Lebanon 28.7% 2013 up 1.0% rising
26 Barbados 28.5% 2017 down 5.4% rising
27 India 28.5% 2013 up 42.0% rising
28 Iran, Islamic Republic of 28.2% 2018 up 36.6% rising
29 Central African Republic 27.3% 2011 up 19.6% rising
30 Estonia 27.1% 2016 up 43.1% rising
31 Oman 26.9% 2009 up 174.8% volatile
32 Australia 26.8% 2016 up 22.0% falling
33 Norway 26.7% 2016 down 15.3% rising
34 Finland 26.5% 2016 down 16.1% rising
35 Nicaragua 26.0% 2010 — rising
36 Switzerland 26.0% 2016 down 2.2% rising
37 Germany 26.0% 2016 up 3.2% rising
38 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 25.6% 2016 up 27.4% falling
39 Malta 25.3% 2015 up 129.9% rising
40 Chile 25.2% 2017 up 64.3% falling
41 Cuba 25.1% 2007 up 52.8% rising
42 Ukraine 25.0% 2017 down 16.9% rising
43 Uruguay 24.8% 2017 up 12.7% rising
44 Turks and Caicos Islands 24.4% 2018 down 34.4% volatile
45 Burundi 24.2% 2013 down 2.8% falling
46 Syrian Arab Republic 24.2% 2009 up 22.0% falling
47 Sweden 24.1% 2016 down 10.1% rising
48 China 24.0% 1999 down 18.4% rising
49 Tunisia 23.9% 2015 down 0.8% rising
50 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 23.8% 2015 down 0.8% falling
51 Romania 23.8% 2016 up 13.5% rising
52 New Zealand 23.7% 2016 — falling
53 Paraguay 23.3% 2016 up 21.8% rising
54 Colombia 23.3% 2018 up 5.8% falling
55 Niger 23.3% 2017 up 122.2% volatile
56 Costa Rica 23.1% 2018 up 10.7% falling
57 Malawi 23.1% 2016 down 22.5% falling
58 Poland 22.8% 2016 up 24.8% rising
59 Jordan 22.7% 2018 — volatile
60 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 22.6% 2009 down 34.9% rising
61 Fiji 22.6% 2013 up 65.8% rising
62 Belgium 22.3% 2016 up 2.7% rising
63 Panama 22.2% 2011 down 15.9% rising
64 Benin 22.1% 2015 up 4.5% flat
65 Pakistan 22.1% 2017 — rising
66 Argentina 22.1% 2017 up 24.4% falling
67 Croatia 21.9% 2013 up 17.8% rising
68 Spain 21.8% 2016 down 2.1% rising
69 Seychelles 21.6% 2016 up 20.9% volatile
70 Russian Federation 21.6% 2016 down 1.3% rising
71 Brazil 21.5% 2015 up 12.9% falling
72 Tanzania, United Republic of 21.4% 2014 up 14.5% rising
73 Malaysia 21.3% 2018 down 35.4% rising
74 Slovakia 21.3% 2016 down 10.1% rising
75 Mexico 21.1% 2016 up 22.6% rising
76 Cyprus 20.8% 2016 down 11.7% volatile
77 Sri Lanka 20.7% 2018 up 14.0% rising
78 Maldives 20.6% 2016 up 217.9% rising
79 Lithuania 20.5% 2016 down 0.3% rising
80 Republic of Korea 20.4% 2016 — rising
81 Morocco 20.2% 2009 up 17.8% rising
82 Iceland 19.9% 2016 up 10.8% rising
83 Rwanda 19.8% 2018 down 22.0% rising
84 Slovenia 19.7% 2016 down 9.3% rising
85 Jamaica 19.6% 2018 up 24.7% rising
86 Ireland 19.6% 2016 down 18.2% rising
87 Italy 19.1% 2016 up 12.6% rising
88 Brunei Darussalam 18.9% 2016 down 22.5% volatile
89 Albania 18.9% 2017 — rising
90 Aruba 18.4% 2016 up 60.1% rising
91 Portugal 18.3% 2015 up 1.0% rising
92 Ghana 18.3% 2014 down 6.5% rising
93 Togo 17.7% 2017 down 17.2% falling
94 Mauritania 17.7% 2016 up 6.1% rising
95 France 17.6% 1999 up 18.4% rising
96 Guinea 17.3% 2018 down 49.8% rising
97 Mali 17.3% 2017 up 7.6% flat
98 Cape Verde 17.2% 2017 up 53.8% rising
99 Bermuda 17.0% 2017 up 26.0% flat
100 Saudi Arabia 16.9% 1998 down 50.4% falling
101 Zimbabwe 16.8% 2014 — volatile
102 Belarus 16.5% 2017 down 18.4% falling
103 Azerbaijan 16.4% 2017 up 106.4% rising
104 Uganda 16.3% 2014 up 37.3% falling
105 Hungary 16.1% 2016 down 16.0% falling
106 Latvia 16.0% 2016 down 10.5% rising
107 Afghanistan 16.0% 2015 up 76.6% falling
108 Bulgaria 15.9% 2013 down 19.2% rising
109 Indonesia 15.8% 2015 up 23.9% falling
110 Peru 15.8% 2018 up 0.4% falling
111 Thailand 15.6% 2013 down 24.5% rising
112 Saint Kitts and Nevis 15.4% 2015 — volatile
113 South Africa 15.3% 2018 up 17.2% falling
114 Israel 15.2% 2016 down 8.0% falling
115 North Macedonia 15.0% 2002 down 15.7% falling
116 Viet Nam 15.0% 2013 down 32.3% falling
117 Myanmar 14.6% 2019 down 23.5% flat
118 Dominican Republic 14.5% 2007 up 8.2% falling
119 Côte d'Ivoire 14.0% 2018 down 41.0% rising
120 Guatemala 13.9% 2018 up 28.7% falling
121 Lao People's Democratic Republic 13.8% 2014 up 9.4% rising
122 Honduras 13.7% 2015 — falling
123 Burkina Faso 13.7% 2015 up 42.6% volatile
124 Eswatini 13.3% 2014 down 49.9% rising
125 Luxembourg 13.1% 2015 — volatile
126 Kenya 13.1% 2015 up 1.3% flat
127 Armenia 13.0% 2017 up 15.1% falling
128 Czechia 12.6% 2016 down 52.8% rising
129 Philippines 12.0% 2009 down 13.5% falling
130 Republic of Moldova 11.9% 2018 down 36.2% falling
131 Trinidad and Tobago 11.5% 1990 down 34.0% falling
132 Gambia 11.3% 2015 down 20.6% falling
133 United States Virgin Islands 11.0% 1978 down 57.7% falling
134 Congo 10.9% 2010 down 57.3% rising
135 Nepal 10.8% 2015 up 5.0% falling
136 Comoros 10.4% 2015 up 35.8% rising
137 Bhutan 10.3% 2014 down 26.6% volatile
138 Cameroon 10.2% 2013 down 1.5% falling
139 Haiti 10.2% 1991 up 6.2% rising
140 Georgia 10.1% 2017 down 12.9% falling
141 Tajikistan 9.9% 2015 up 34.6% rising
142 Belize 9.5% 2017 up 3.1% rising
143 Kazakhstan 9.4% 2018 down 32.5% falling
144 El Salvador 9.2% 2018 down 6.9% falling
145 Zambia 8.9% 2017 down 65.4% flat
146 Angola 8.7% 2006 — rising
147 Qatar 7.6% 1978 up 10.9% rising
148 Lesotho 7.4% 2018 down 79.6% rising
149 San Marino 6.8% 2017 down 30.0% falling
150 Mauritius 6.4% 2018 down 37.1% flat
151 Mongolia 6.4% 2017 down 65.2% falling
152 Cambodia 6.1% 2013 up 33.6% rising
153 Vanuatu 5.9% 2008 down 10.6% flat
154 Andorra 5.6% 2018 up 24.5% rising
155 Guyana 5.1% 2012 up 4.1% volatile
156 Monaco 4.4% 2004 — volatile
157 Timor-Leste 4.1% 2014 down 49.5% volatile
158 Kyrgyzstan 3.0% 2017 down 80.9% falling
159 Madagascar 0.0% 2017 down 100.0% volatile
160 Saint Lucia 0.0% 2018 down 100.0% volatile

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 tertiary education by country. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on tertiary 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
197 places, 3,723 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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