Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Jamaica
Jamaica: Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 5.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Jamaica, 1973–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Jamaica stood at 5.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Jamaica peaked at 6.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1993.
That places Jamaica 36th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 3.6% | — |
| 1974 | 4.2% | +17.0% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | +23.1% |
| 1976 | 5.9% | +12.0% |
| 1977 | 6.0% | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 5.4% | -10.5% |
| 1986 | 4.6% | -14.6% |
| 1988 | 3.9% | -14.4% |
| 1989 | 5.2% | +31.5% |
| 1990 | 4.8% | -7.8% |
| 1991 | 4.4% | -8.3% |
| 1992 | 3.3% | -23.9% |
| 1993 | 3.2% | -3.7% |
| 1994 | 4.1% | +26.5% |
| 1995 | 3.4% | -16.6% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | +8.5% |
| 1997 | 4.4% | +19.1% |
| 2000 | 5.0% | +13.8% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 4.3% | -20.8% |
| 2004 | 3.9% | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 4.6% | +18.0% |
| 2007 | 5.5% | +18.9% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 6.4% | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 6.1% | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 6.3% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | -9.3% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 5.2% | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 5.4% | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 5.7% | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 5.5% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.0% | 3.6% | 6.0% | 5 |
| 1980s | 4.8% | 3.9% | 5.4% | 4 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 3.9% | 6.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More education data for Jamaica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 11,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,597 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Jamaica?
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Jamaica was 5.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 2010.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1993.
- How does Jamaica rank for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Jamaica ranks 36th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release