Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Malta

Malta: Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 4.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
4.7%
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
73rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.6%
in 2011
All-time low
2.9%
in 1982
Years of data
38
1971–2022

Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Malta, 1971–2022

024681971199620221971: 6.2 %1972: 5.5 %1973: 5.3 %1974: 4.5 %1975: 4.4 %1976: 3.8 %1977: 3.9 %1978: 3.3 %1979: 3.2 %1981: 2.9 %1982: 2.9 %1983: 3.3 %1984: 3.1 %1985: 3.2 %1986: 3.1 %1987: 3.2 %1988: 3.3 %1989: 3.6 %1990: 3.8 %1991: 3.9 %1992: 4.3 %1998: 4.2 %2002: 4.2 %2004: 4.4 %2007: 6 %2008: 5.5 %2009: 5 %2010: 6.2 %2011: 7.6 %2012: 6.2 %2013: 7.4 %2014: 6.8 %2015: 4.9 %2016: 5 %2017: 4.3 %2019: 4.8 %2021: 4.9 %2022: 4.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Malta is 4.7%, measured in 2022.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 24.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Malta peaked at 7.6% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1982.

Malta ranks 73rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Malta, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%) in Malta, 1971 to 2022.
Year % Change
1971 6.2%
1972 5.5% -9.8%
1973 5.3% -5.1%
1974 4.5% -14.7%
1975 4.4% -1.6%
1976 3.8% -13.3%
1977 3.9% +1.7%
1978 3.3% -14.1%
1979 3.2% -5.8%
1981 2.9% -9.1%
1982 2.9% -0.4%
1983 3.3% +16.1%
1984 3.1% -7.1%
1985 3.2% +5.5%
1986 3.1% -4.4%
1987 3.2% +1.9%
1988 3.3% +5.5%
1989 3.6% +7.5%
1990 3.8% +6.8%
1991 3.9% +2.3%
1992 4.3% +10.0%
1998 4.2% -3.0%
2002 4.2% -0.7%
2004 4.4% +6.6%
2007 6.0% +34.5%
2008 5.5% -8.1%
2009 5.0% -7.8%
2010 6.2% +23.0%
2011 7.6% +22.1%
2012 6.2% -17.5%
2013 7.4% +18.5%
2014 6.8% -7.5%
2015 4.9% -28.3%
2016 5.0% +0.9%
2017 4.3% -12.4%
2019 4.8% +10.5%
2021 4.9% +2.7%
2022 4.7% -4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.5% 3.2% 6.2% 9
1980s 3.2% 2.9% 3.6% 9
1990s 4.1% 3.8% 4.3% 4
2000s 5.0% 4.2% 6.0% 5
2010s 5.9% 4.3% 7.6% 9
2020s 4.8% 4.7% 4.9% 2

Countries ranked near Malta

  1. 70 Canada 4.8% compare
  2. 71 Uruguay 4.8% compare
  3. 72 Cyprus 4.7% compare
  4. 74 Slovakia 4.7% compare
  5. 75 Belize 4.6% compare
  6. 76 Rwanda 4.6% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More education data for Malta

All data for Malta →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Malta?
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Malta was 4.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Malta?
The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2011.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Malta?
The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1982.
How does Malta rank for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
Malta ranks 73rd out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Malta?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malta 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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Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Malta. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/malta/

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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