Expenditure on tertiary education in Euro area
Euro area: Expenditure on tertiary education was 21.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Euro area, 1971–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Euro area recorded 21.5% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2016.
That represents a change of down 7.7% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Euro area peaked at 23.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 1974.
That places Euro area 12th out of 37 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Euro area, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 16.8% | — |
| 1974 | 15.3% | -9.0% |
| 1975 | 15.5% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 16.1% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 15.4% | -4.3% |
| 1979 | 15.8% | +2.7% |
| 1986 | 19.1% | +20.9% |
| 1987 | 19.6% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 19.5% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 20.3% | +4.4% |
| 1991 | 20.1% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 19.3% | -3.9% |
| 1993 | 17.8% | -7.9% |
| 1994 | 18.4% | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 18.4% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 19.9% | +7.8% |
| 1998 | 21.5% | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 18.7% | -13.3% |
| 2000 | 21.8% | +16.8% |
| 2001 | 21.8% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 21.1% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 19.7% | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 22.0% | +11.9% |
| 2005 | 21.9% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 22.3% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 21.7% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 22.0% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 22.1% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 22.1% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 22.5% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 23.3% | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 21.5% | -7.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15.8% | 15.3% | 16.8% | 6 |
| 1980s | 19.4% | 19.1% | 19.6% | 3 |
| 1990s | 19.4% | 17.8% | 21.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 21.7% | 19.7% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.3% | 21.5% | 23.3% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Euro area
- 9 Puerto Rico 36.8% compare
- 10 Greece 36.1% compare
- 11 Canada 35.6% compare
- 12 Singapore 35.3% compare
- 13 British Virgin Islands 35.1% compare
- 14 Bangladesh 33.3% compare
- 15 Senegal 32.8% compare
More education data for Euro area
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 14.0% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 63.1% (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.96 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0512 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 1.51 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 18.29 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Euro area?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Euro area was 21.5% 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 Euro area?
- The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Euro area?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 1974.
- How does Euro area rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Euro area ranks 12th out of 37 groups with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Euro area?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Euro area 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.