Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 3.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago, 1980–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago is 3.2%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 14.7% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 5.9% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1998.
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 139th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.8% | — |
| 1982 | 5.5% | +44.8% |
| 1983 | 5.8% | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 5.9% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 5.8% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | -27.2% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | -13.0% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -6.1% |
| 1995 | 3.6% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | -26.7% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +13.0% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +11.2% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | +15.6% |
| 2003 | 3.1% | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +34.3% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | -7.2% |
| 2013 | 3.8% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 3.6% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | +23.2% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -21.0% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | +18.8% |
| 2021 | 3.0% | -27.9% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -7.4% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | +14.7% |
Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries
- Trinidad and Tobago's 3.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 73% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Trinidad and Tobago's 3.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 4.1%, 80% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.1% | 3.8% | 5.9% | 6 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 4 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More education data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7,950 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 8,036 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12,546 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12,926 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,195 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126,491 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0924 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago was 3.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1984.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1998.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 139th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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 — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release