Expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore
Singapore: Expenditure on tertiary education was 35.3% in 2013. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore, 1971–2013
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2013, expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore stood at 35.3%.
That represents a change of down 7.2% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore peaked at 38.0% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 14.9%, in 1977.
Singapore ranks 12th of 160 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 15.8% | — |
| 1972 | 16.7% | +5.8% |
| 1973 | 17.1% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 18.0% | +5.5% |
| 1975 | 19.0% | +5.3% |
| 1976 | 21.7% | +14.3% |
| 1977 | 14.9% | -31.2% |
| 1978 | 15.0% | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 15.0% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 15.9% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 24.4% | +53.1% |
| 1983 | 32.5% | +33.2% |
| 1988 | 34.0% | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 32.6% | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 34.4% | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 35.1% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 35.6% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 38.0% | +6.7% |
| 2013 | 35.3% | -7.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.0% | 14.9% | 21.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | 24.5% | 15.9% | 34.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 33.5% | 32.6% | 34.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 36.0% | 35.1% | 38.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 9 Puerto Rico 36.8% compare
- 10 Greece 36.1% compare
- 11 Canada 35.6% compare
- 13 British Virgin Islands 35.1% compare
- 14 Bangladesh 33.3% compare
- 15 Senegal 32.8% compare
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Singapore was 35.3% in 2013, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 38.0% in 2012.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.9% in 1977.
- How does Singapore rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Singapore ranks 12th out of 160 countries with data for 2013.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.