Expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members
OECD members: Expenditure on tertiary education was 22.8% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members, 1974–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
The most recent figure for expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members is 22.8%, measured in 2016.
That represents a change of down 5.3% on the previous year and up 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members peaked at 24.1% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1976.
That places OECD members 4th out of 37 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 19.2% | — |
| 1975 | 19.7% | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 16.5% | -16.1% |
| 1978 | 19.1% | +15.5% |
| 1979 | 19.4% | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 19.9% | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 20.6% | +3.7% |
| 1982 | 21.7% | +5.3% |
| 1983 | 19.8% | -8.8% |
| 1984 | 20.6% | +4.2% |
| 1985 | 19.5% | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 19.9% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 20.0% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 20.2% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 19.2% | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 20.3% | +6.0% |
| 1991 | 20.7% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 19.3% | -6.5% |
| 1993 | 20.4% | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 20.0% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 20.2% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 20.5% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 20.0% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 21.0% | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 21.1% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 21.2% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 20.7% | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 21.4% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 21.8% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 22.0% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 22.6% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 21.8% | -3.6% |
| 2009 | 22.1% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 23.4% | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 22.8% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 23.8% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 23.5% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 22.8% | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.8% | 16.5% | 19.7% | 5 |
| 1980s | 20.1% | 19.2% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.2% | 19.3% | 20.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 21.6% | 20.7% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.3% | 22.3% | 24.1% | 7 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More education data for OECD members
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 116.41 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.2049 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0654 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 6.28 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 64.5% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 16.4% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in OECD members was 22.8% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 24.1% in 2015.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1976.
- How does OECD members rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- OECD members ranks 4th out of 37 groups with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.