Expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Expenditure on tertiary education was 33.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh, 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 tertiary education in Bangladesh stood at 33.3%. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 157.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh peaked at 33.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 1997.
That places Bangladesh 14th out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 22.1% | — |
| 1980 | 21.9% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | -27.6% |
| 1982 | 12.7% | -19.7% |
| 1983 | 11.6% | -9.3% |
| 1984 | 11.5% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 10.6% | -7.9% |
| 1986 | 9.6% | -9.0% |
| 1987 | 9.3% | -3.6% |
| 1990 | 8.2% | -11.1% |
| 1991 | 9.1% | +10.2% |
| 1992 | 10.2% | +12.1% |
| 1993 | 8.5% | -16.5% |
| 1997 | 4.7% | -44.3% |
| 1999 | 11.0% | +131.3% |
| 2000 | 10.1% | -7.7% |
| 2001 | 10.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | +10.2% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | -18.2% |
| 2004 | 11.5% | +26.7% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | +12.0% |
| 2007 | 11.5% | -11.3% |
| 2008 | 13.3% | +15.7% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | -23.8% |
| 2012 | 14.7% | +43.1% |
| 2016 | 33.3% | +125.9% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 33.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.3%, 2.3× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 33.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 20.7%, 1.6× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | +131.3% | 4.7% | 11.0% |
| 2016 | +125.9% | 14.7% | 33.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.1% | 22.1% | 22.1% | 1 |
| 1980s | 12.9% | 9.3% | 21.9% | 8 |
| 1990s | 8.6% | 4.7% | 11.0% | 6 |
| 2000s | 11.5% | 9.1% | 13.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 19.4% | 10.3% | 33.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More education data for Bangladesh
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 571,690 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 387,056 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.77 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16.69 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0961 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Bangladesh was 33.3% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 33.3% in 2016.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 1997.
- How does Bangladesh rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Bangladesh ranks 14th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 157.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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 tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.