Expenditure on tertiary education in North America
North America: Expenditure on tertiary education was 27.5% in 2014. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in North America, 1971–2014
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2014, expenditure on tertiary education in North America stood at 27.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in North America peaked at 36.8% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 27.2%, in 2013.
North America ranks 1st of 37 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in North America, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 31.4% | — |
| 1972 | 31.4% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 31.1% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 30.7% | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 31.4% | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 31.4% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 29.6% | -5.8% |
| 1978 | 29.1% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 30.6% | +5.2% |
| 1980 | 29.8% | -2.6% |
| 1981 | 29.9% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 29.4% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 30.1% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 30.9% | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 30.5% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 31.0% | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 30.9% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 30.8% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 31.7% | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 31.8% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 28.1% | -11.6% |
| 1992 | 30.8% | +9.3% |
| 1993 | 27.8% | -9.7% |
| 1994 | 34.6% | +24.5% |
| 1995 | 35.3% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 31.0% | -12.1% |
| 2007 | 36.8% | +18.7% |
| 2008 | 34.4% | -6.4% |
| 2009 | 36.1% | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 35.4% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 35.6% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 27.2% | -23.5% |
| 2014 | 27.5% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.7% | 29.1% | 31.4% | 9 |
| 1980s | 30.5% | 29.4% | 31.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.3% | 27.8% | 35.3% | 7 |
| 2000s | 35.8% | 34.4% | 36.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 31.4% | 27.2% | 35.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
More education data for North America
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 26.20 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2703 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0687 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 28.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 16.9% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in North America?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in North America was 27.5% in 2014, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 36.8% in 2007.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.2% in 2013.
- How does North America rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- North America ranks 1st out of 37 groups with data for 2014.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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.