Expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan
Pakistan: Expenditure on tertiary education was 22.1% in 2017. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan, 1971–2017
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2017, expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan stood at 22.1%.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 31.4% over five years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan peaked at 32.2% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 1997.
Pakistan ranks 65th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 18.3% | — |
| 1972 | 16.5% | -9.9% |
| 1973 | 18.2% | +10.5% |
| 1974 | 24.3% | +33.4% |
| 1975 | 17.9% | -26.4% |
| 1976 | 18.9% | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 18.4% | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 17.4% | -5.7% |
| 1979 | 19.3% | +11.0% |
| 1980 | 20.9% | +8.4% |
| 1981 | 17.6% | -15.8% |
| 1982 | 19.7% | +12.1% |
| 1983 | 20.2% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 20.5% | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 19.3% | -5.9% |
| 1986 | 18.2% | -5.6% |
| 1987 | 20.1% | +10.5% |
| 1989 | 15.7% | -21.7% |
| 1990 | 16.5% | +4.6% |
| 1991 | 17.6% | +7.1% |
| 1992 | 14.7% | -16.7% |
| 1993 | 15.9% | +8.5% |
| 1994 | 14.5% | -8.8% |
| 1995 | 13.9% | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 13.4% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 11.9% | -11.5% |
| 2013 | 32.2% | +171.3% |
| 2014 | 22.3% | -30.7% |
| 2015 | 22.8% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 22.1% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.8% | 16.5% | 24.3% | 9 |
| 1980s | 19.1% | 15.7% | 20.9% | 9 |
| 1990s | 14.8% | 11.9% | 17.6% | 8 |
| 2010s | 24.3% | 22.1% | 32.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More education data for Pakistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 440,233 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.90 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 19.70 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Pakistan was 22.1% in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 32.2% in 2013.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 1997.
- How does Pakistan rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Pakistan ranks 65th out of 160 countries with data for 2017.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.