Expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia
South Asia: Expenditure on tertiary education was 22.7% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia, 1979–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia stood at 22.7%. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 50.4% on the previous year and up 36.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia peaked at 22.7% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 2003.
That places South Asia 5th out of 37 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 17.0% | — |
| 1980 | 18.7% | +10.2% |
| 1981 | 16.1% | -14.1% |
| 1982 | 14.7% | -8.7% |
| 1983 | 14.6% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 16.1% | +10.5% |
| 1985 | 13.9% | -13.6% |
| 1986 | 15.3% | +9.9% |
| 1987 | 14.3% | -6.9% |
| 1990 | 12.7% | -11.0% |
| 1991 | 10.7% | -15.3% |
| 1999 | 17.5% | +63.2% |
| 2000 | 18.8% | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 11.0% | -41.4% |
| 2002 | 11.6% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 10.3% | -11.4% |
| 2004 | 15.8% | +53.5% |
| 2006 | 16.6% | +5.3% |
| 2008 | 13.4% | -19.5% |
| 2009 | 15.8% | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 16.4% | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | -10.1% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | +13.3% |
| 2013 | 21.1% | +26.3% |
| 2014 | 15.8% | -25.3% |
| 2015 | 15.1% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 22.7% | +50.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.0% | 17.0% | 17.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 15.5% | 13.9% | 18.7% | 8 |
| 1990s | 13.7% | 10.7% | 17.5% | 3 |
| 2000s | 14.2% | 10.3% | 18.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 17.5% | 14.8% | 22.7% | 7 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More education data for South Asia
- Population ages 0-14 24.6% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0959 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 68.1% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in South Asia was 22.7% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 2016.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 2003.
- How does South Asia rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- South Asia ranks 5th out of 37 groups with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.