Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in China
China: Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 3.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in China, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in China stood at 3.9%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in China peaked at 3.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1971.
That places China 111th out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.4% | — |
| 1972 | 1.6% | +15.6% |
| 1973 | 1.6% | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | +6.7% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | +6.3% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | -3.7% |
| 1978 | 2.0% | +12.0% |
| 1979 | 2.1% | +9.7% |
| 1980 | 1.9% | -11.0% |
| 1981 | 1.9% | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | +4.4% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | -3.8% |
| 1985 | 2.0% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 1.8% | -12.5% |
| 1988 | 1.8% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 1.6% | -6.4% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | +19.7% |
| 1995 | 1.8% | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.9% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | +108.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
- 108 Kenya 4.0% compare
- 109 Georgia 4.0% compare
- 110 Philippines 4.0% compare
- 112 Saint Lucia 3.8% compare
- 113 Hong Kong, China 3.8% compare
- 114 Hungary 3.8% compare
More education data for China
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.41 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 7,020 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 21.58 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 19.36 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 97.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 108.57 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9587 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0771 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in China?
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in China was 3.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1971.
- How does China rank for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- China ranks 111th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release