Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%) by country

February 2026 Data Release

Countries reporting
199
Highest
16.4%
Kiribati
Lowest
0.0%
Somalia
Median
4.2%
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
5,141

What the numbers show

Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%) is currently reported for 199 countries. The highest value is 16.4% in Kiribati; the lowest is 0.0% in Somalia.

The median across all reporting countries is 4.2%, and the mean is 4.3%.

Over the past decade 96 countries rose and 98 fell. The largest increase was in Mauritania (up 197.5%), and the largest decrease in Zimbabwe (down 93.6%).

Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Kiribati 16.4% 2023 up 35.6% rising
2 Tuvalu 12.8% 2023 rising
3 Micronesia, Federated States of 11.6% 2020 down 1.4% volatile
4 Namibia 9.1% 2024 up 147.7% rising
5 Algeria 9.0% 2024 up 37.1% falling
6 Cuba 8.4% 2022 down 26.9% rising
7 Solomon Islands 8.3% 2023 up 10.9% rising
8 Botswana 8.1% 2020 down 18.0% rising
9 Marshall Islands 7.7% 2022 flat
10 Vanuatu 7.6% 2024 up 47.6% flat
11 Mauritania 7.6% 2024 up 197.5% volatile
12 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 7.5% 2024 up 0.8% rising
13 Sweden 7.3% 2022 down 3.4% rising
14 Iceland 7.3% 2022 down 3.6% rising
15 Montserrat 7.2% 2023 up 30.7% rising
16 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 6.9% 2009 up 37.3% flat
17 Kyrgyzstan 6.8% 2023 up 0.7% rising
18 Tunisia 6.7% 2023 up 13.2% rising
19 Lesotho 6.6% 2024 down 13.3% rising
20 Republic of Moldova 6.6% 2023 up 11.0% falling
21 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.5% 2023 up 30.3% rising
22 Kuwait 6.4% 2024 up 8.1% rising
23 Finland 6.4% 2022 down 11.1% rising
24 Denmark 6.4% 2022 down 12.3% rising
25 Belgium 6.3% 2022 down 4.4% rising
26 Senegal 6.2% 2023 up 8.4% rising
27 Eswatini 6.0% 2024 down 17.2% rising
28 South Africa 6.0% 2024 up 9.7% rising
29 Morocco 6.0% 2023 up 8.4% flat
30 Mozambique 6.0% 2022 up 7.5% rising
31 Israel 5.9% 2022 up 6.7% flat
32 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5.9% 2021 up 6.0% flat
33 Bhutan 5.8% 2023 up 13.2% rising
34 Naoero 5.8% 2023 up 29.2% falling
35 Brazil 5.6% 2022 down 4.0% rising
36 Jamaica 5.5% 2024 down 8.3% rising
37 Uzbekistan 5.5% 2023 down 4.7% falling
38 Samoa 5.5% 2024 up 0.8% rising
39 Curaçao 5.4% 2024 down 8.6% rising
40 Tajikistan 5.4% 2023 up 2.7% rising
41 Palestine, State of 5.4% 2021 up 1.9% falling
42 Norway 5.4% 2022 down 25.9% rising
43 United States of America 5.4% 2021 up 9.9% rising
44 Republic of Korea 5.4% 2022 up 27.5% rising
45 Dominica 5.4% 2024 up 24.3% rising
46 Burkina Faso 5.3% 2023 up 30.5% rising
47 France 5.3% 2022 down 2.6% rising
48 Costa Rica 5.3% 2023 down 20.6% rising
49 Tonga 5.3% 2022 up 14.5% falling
50 Slovenia 5.3% 2022 down 6.9% rising
51 Austria 5.3% 2022 down 4.3% rising
52 Colombia 5.3% 2020 up 8.9% rising
53 Timor-Leste 5.2% 2023 down 7.5% falling
54 Germany 5.2% 2022 up 8.4% rising
55 New Zealand 5.2% 2023 down 11.4% rising
56 Mongolia 5.2% 2024 up 10.6% falling
57 Estonia 5.2% 2022 up 11.4% falling
58 Netherlands 5.2% 2022 down 3.5% falling
59 Maldives 5.2% 2023 up 52.5% falling
60 Ukraine 5.1% 2021 down 13.4% rising
61 Syrian Arab Republic 5.1% 2009 up 12.8% rising
62 Grenada 5.1% 2023 up 1.0% falling
63 Australia 5.1% 2022 falling
64 Belarus 5.0% 2024 up 4.7% falling
65 Sao Tome and Principe 5.0% 2023 down 24.8% rising
66 Argentina 5.0% 2023 down 8.0% rising
67 Chile 4.9% 2022 up 20.9% rising
68 Kazakhstan 4.9% 2023 up 41.2% rising
69 Switzerland 4.9% 2022 down 0.7% rising
70 Canada 4.8% 2022 down 7.9% falling
71 Uruguay 4.8% 2023 up 12.4% rising
72 Cyprus 4.7% 2022 down 27.3% rising
73 Malta 4.7% 2022 down 24.6% rising
74 Slovakia 4.7% 2022 up 20.8% flat
75 Belize 4.6% 2024 down 10.1% rising
76 Rwanda 4.6% 2024 up 10.0% rising
77 Spain 4.6% 2022 up 2.8% rising
78 Portugal 4.6% 2022 down 7.9% rising
79 Honduras 4.5% 2023 down 22.6% rising
80 Burundi 4.5% 2025 down 29.3% rising
81 Bulgaria 4.5% 2022 up 29.5% rising
82 Saudi Arabia 4.5% 2023 down 12.8% rising
83 Seychelles 4.5% 2023 up 23.1% falling
84 Guyana 4.5% 2018 up 86.1% falling
85 Brunei Darussalam 4.4% 2016 up 140.0% volatile
86 Cook Islands 4.4% 2023 up 4.5% rising
87 Oman 4.4% 2022 up 0.7% rising
88 Peru 4.4% 2024 up 17.9% rising
89 Cape Verde 4.3% 2023 down 4.7% falling
90 Afghanistan 4.3% 2017 up 24.8% rising
91 Latvia 4.3% 2022 down 36.8% flat
92 Poland 4.3% 2022 down 10.7% flat
93 Czechia 4.3% 2022 up 2.7% rising
94 Turkmenistan 4.3% 2024 up 40.7% rising
95 Puerto Rico 4.3% 2024 down 29.7% falling
96 Lithuania 4.3% 2022 down 11.1% falling
97 Mauritius 4.2% 2024 down 11.8% rising
98 Fiji 4.2% 2023 up 9.4% falling
99 Mali 4.2% 2023 up 51.7% rising
100 Russian Federation 4.2% 2023 up 10.6% rising
101 Togo 4.1% 2023 up 30.5% rising
102 India 4.1% 2022 up 6.0% rising
103 Croatia 4.1% 2021 down 0.3% flat
104 Niger 4.1% 2023 up 10.4% rising
105 Zambia 4.1% 2023 up 9.6% falling
106 Italy 4.1% 2022 up 0.8% rising
107 Mexico 4.1% 2022 down 16.9% rising
108 Kenya 4.0% 2024 down 14.7% falling
109 Georgia 4.0% 2024 up 35.3% rising
110 Philippines 4.0% 2025 up 40.2% rising
111 China 3.9% 2023 rising
112 Saint Lucia 3.8% 2024 down 1.1% falling
113 Hong Kong, China 3.8% 2024 up 6.5% rising
114 Hungary 3.8% 2022 down 8.5% rising
115 Egypt 3.8% 2008 down 19.5% falling
116 Dominican Republic 3.8% 2023 up 3.7% rising
117 Djibouti 3.8% 2018 down 55.4% falling
118 Luxembourg 3.7% 2022 down 3.4% rising
119 Ecuador 3.7% 2024 down 29.2% rising
120 Nepal 3.7% 2024 up 6.2% rising
121 Azerbaijan 3.7% 2023 up 49.9% falling
122 Aruba 3.6% 2021 down 38.8% rising
123 Côte d'Ivoire 3.6% 2024 up 9.0% falling
124 Barbados 3.6% 2024 down 33.7% falling
125 Paraguay 3.5% 2024 up 36.1% rising
126 Malaysia 3.5% 2023 down 35.9% falling
127 Macau, China 3.5% 2023 up 70.8% rising
128 Saint Kitts and Nevis 3.5% 2023 up 7.2% flat
129 Palau 3.4% 2023 falling
130 Serbia 3.4% 2023 down 16.4% falling
131 Greece 3.4% 2022 down 8.3% rising
132 Congo 3.3% 2023 down 33.4% falling
133 Japan 3.3% 2021 down 7.5% falling
134 El Salvador 3.3% 2024 down 13.3% rising
135 North Macedonia 3.3% 2002 down 30.3% falling
136 Romania 3.3% 2022 up 16.1% falling
137 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.2% 2023 down 2.1% flat
138 Qatar 3.2% 2020 down 28.8% rising
139 Trinidad and Tobago 3.2% 2023 down 13.8% falling
140 Jordan 3.2% 2024 down 14.2% falling
141 Benin 3.2% 2023 down 2.9% rising
142 Chad 3.2% 2023 up 54.9% rising
143 British Virgin Islands 3.2% 2023 down 28.8% falling
144 Tanzania, United Republic of 3.2% 2024 down 6.8% rising
145 Antigua and Barbuda 3.1% 2023 up 31.6% rising
146 Türkiye 3.1% 2022 down 29.4% rising
147 Albania 3.1% 2023 down 12.5% flat
148 Guatemala 3.1% 2024 up 3.0% rising
149 Madagascar 3.0% 2023 up 71.5% falling
150 Turks and Caicos Islands 2.9% 2024 up 7.4% falling
151 Ghana 2.9% 2022 down 63.3% rising
152 Ireland 2.9% 2021 down 49.7% falling
153 San Marino 2.9% 2022 up 7.2% rising
154 Viet Nam 2.9% 2022 down 34.5% falling
155 Nicaragua 2.9% 2023 down 29.7% rising
156 Suriname 2.9% 2023 down 48.2% falling
157 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.8% 2022 up 37.9% rising
158 Cameroon 2.8% 2023 up 6.9% falling
159 Iran, Islamic Republic of 2.8% 2023 down 1.0% falling
160 Gambia 2.8% 2023 up 54.4% falling
161 Malawi 2.7% 2022 up 8.7% rising
162 Bahamas 2.7% 2023 up 13.1% rising
163 Sierra Leone 2.6% 2023 up 68.2% volatile
164 Uganda 2.6% 2022 up 42.5% falling
165 Liechtenstein 2.6% 2011 up 3.9% flat
166 Thailand 2.5% 2023 down 38.9% rising
167 Angola 2.5% 2023 down 43.4% falling
168 Anguilla 2.5% 2022 down 25.8% flat
169 Panama 2.5% 2023 down 19.8% falling
170 Armenia 2.4% 2023 down 8.0% rising
171 Comoros 2.3% 2023 down 1.7% falling
172 Gabon 2.3% 2023 down 23.6% falling
173 Ethiopia 2.3% 2024 down 50.1% rising
174 Liberia 2.3% 2023 up 34.1% volatile
175 Singapore 2.2% 2024 down 27.3% flat
176 Cambodia 2.2% 2023 up 38.3% rising
177 Eritrea 2.1% 2006 up 29.8% falling
178 Bangladesh 2.0% 2024 down 3.1% rising
179 Sudan 2.0% 2009 up 99.8% rising
180 Guinea-Bissau 2.0% 2013 down 1.1% falling
181 Myanmar 2.0% 2019 up 154.0% falling
182 Pakistan 1.9% 2023 down 13.0% flat
183 Andorra 1.9% 2023 down 24.2% rising
184 Bahrain 1.9% 2023 down 20.8% flat
185 Bermuda 1.9% 2023 down 18.2% falling
186 Central African Republic 1.8% 2023 down 30.6% falling
187 Sri Lanka 1.8% 2023 up 16.8% falling
188 Monaco 1.7% 2023 up 29.8% rising
189 Guinea 1.7% 2023 down 34.5% rising
190 Cayman Islands 1.6% 2023 down 27.4% falling
191 South Sudan 1.6% 2016 up 49.8% rising
192 Indonesia 1.3% 2023 down 62.0% falling
193 Lao People's Democratic Republic 1.2% 2023 down 61.8% falling
194 Lebanon 1.2% 2024 down 49.7% falling
195 Haiti 1.0% 2023 down 44.9% rising
196 Papua New Guinea 0.8% 2023 down 51.9% volatile
197 Zimbabwe 0.4% 2023 down 93.6% volatile
198 Nigeria 0.3% 2023 down 40.3% volatile
199 Somalia 0.0% 2023 up 103.1% volatile

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Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
199 places, 5,141 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release