Expenditure on tertiary education in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Expenditure on tertiary education was 21.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Europe & Central Asia, 1993–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia recorded 21.3% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 23.4% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 1995.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 14th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 18.7% | — |
| 1994 | 19.0% | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 18.5% | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 19.1% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 21.8% | +13.8% |
| 2002 | 20.2% | -7.4% |
| 2003 | 19.9% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 21.4% | +7.4% |
| 2005 | 21.9% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 21.9% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 22.3% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 21.5% | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 22.1% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 22.0% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 23.4% | +6.5% |
| 2012 | 21.8% | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 22.2% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 22.5% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 22.1% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 21.3% | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.8% | 18.5% | 19.1% | 4 |
| 2000s | 21.4% | 19.9% | 22.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 21.3% | 23.4% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More education data for Europe & Central Asia
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.52 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 83.79 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 52.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0527 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0564 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 17.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Europe & Central Asia?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Europe & Central Asia was 21.3% 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 Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 23.4% in 2011.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 1995.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 14th out of 37 groups with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.