Expenditure on tertiary education in Italy
Italy: Expenditure on tertiary education was 19.1% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Italy, 1970–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Italy recorded 19.1% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Italy peaked at 19.6% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 1979.
That places Italy 87th out of 160 countries 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 Italy, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 10.0% | — |
| 1971 | 11.8% | +17.0% |
| 1974 | 10.3% | -12.6% |
| 1975 | 13.4% | +30.3% |
| 1976 | 12.0% | -10.6% |
| 1978 | 10.4% | -13.5% |
| 1979 | 9.0% | -13.3% |
| 1983 | 12.0% | +34.1% |
| 1984 | 13.3% | +10.4% |
| 1985 | 14.6% | +9.8% |
| 1986 | 15.0% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 16.0% | +6.7% |
| 1993 | 16.9% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 16.1% | -4.9% |
| 1995 | 15.7% | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 16.0% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 16.3% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | +13.5% |
| 2000 | 18.5% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | -11.6% |
| 2002 | 18.5% | +13.1% |
| 2003 | 16.4% | -11.2% |
| 2004 | 16.9% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 17.2% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 17.0% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 17.7% | +4.1% |
| 2008 | 18.3% | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 18.3% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 18.8% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 19.4% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 19.3% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 19.6% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 19.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 18.6% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.0% | 9.0% | 13.4% | 7 |
| 1980s | 14.2% | 12.0% | 16.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 15.7% | 18.5% | 6 |
| 2000s | 17.5% | 16.4% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 18.6% | 19.6% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Italy
More education data for Italy
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 423,797 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 6,592 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 667,641 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 620,157 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.63 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.167 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0445 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Italy?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Italy was 19.1% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 19.6% in 2014.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 1979.
- How does Italy rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Italy ranks 87th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Italy 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.