Expenditure on tertiary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Expenditure on tertiary education was 25.6% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Expenditure on tertiary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2016
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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 25.6%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.2% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 25.6% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2009.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 38th out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 23.8% | — |
| 1972 | 25.1% | +5.5% |
| 1973 | 24.5% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 23.2% | -5.1% |
| 1975 | 21.8% | -6.3% |
| 1976 | 20.7% | -4.7% |
| 1977 | 21.5% | +3.8% |
| 1980 | 22.4% | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 23.0% | +2.7% |
| 1982 | 22.8% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 22.7% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 21.9% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 22.6% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 21.1% | -6.6% |
| 1987 | 20.8% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 20.2% | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 20.1% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 20.4% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 20.7% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 21.8% | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 23.6% | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 23.7% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 21.9% | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 20.1% | -8.3% |
| 2000 | 17.5% | -12.8% |
| 2001 | 17.2% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 20.6% | +19.7% |
| 2003 | 19.8% | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 19.3% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | +15.5% |
| 2006 | 20.1% | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 17.4% | -13.5% |
| 2008 | 15.7% | -9.6% |
| 2009 | 14.4% | -8.5% |
| 2010 | 16.4% | +14.1% |
| 2011 | 22.1% | +34.8% |
| 2013 | 24.0% | +8.4% |
| 2014 | 24.3% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 22.8% | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 25.6% | +12.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.9% | 20.7% | 25.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 21.8% | 20.1% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.9% | 20.1% | 23.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 18.4% | 14.4% | 22.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.5% | 16.4% | 25.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 25.6% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 25.6% in 2016.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2009.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 38th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.