Government expenditure on education, constant US$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on education, constant US$ was 161,592 millions in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
161,592 millions
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
4th
of 174 countries
All-time high
165,884 millions
in 2020
All-time low
52,184 millions
in 1971
Years of data
46
1971–2021
Government expenditure on education, constant US$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.
Analysis
In 2021, government expenditure on education, constant us$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 161,592 millions.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, constant us$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 165,884 millions in 2020 and was at its lowest, 52,184 millions, in 1971.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 4th out of 174 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 46 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, constant US$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | millions | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 52,184 millions | — |
| 1972 | 55,380 millions | +6.1% |
| 1973 | 61,012 millions | +10.2% |
| 1974 | 64,305 millions | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 72,918 millions | +13.4% |
| 1976 | 73,624 millions | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 71,511 millions | -2.9% |
| 1980 | 66,236 millions | -7.4% |
| 1981 | 67,684 millions | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 65,885 millions | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 65,552 millions | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 66,127 millions | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 63,417 millions | -4.1% |
| 1986 | 62,982 millions | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 64,832 millions | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 66,710 millions | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 68,168 millions | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 68,745 millions | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 70,393 millions | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 73,197 millions | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 84,293 millions | +15.2% |
| 1995 | 87,326 millions | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 81,007 millions | -7.2% |
| 1998 | 83,782 millions | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 82,131 millions | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 85,275 millions | +3.8% |
| 2001 | 90,791 millions | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 104,751 millions | +15.4% |
| 2003 | 111,010 millions | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 112,942 millions | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 120,463 millions | +6.7% |
| 2006 | 124,928 millions | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 126,565 millions | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 129,499 millions | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 133,200 millions | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 143,007 millions | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 142,955 millions | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 145,530 millions | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 150,188 millions | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 153,690 millions | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 153,527 millions | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 157,187 millions | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 154,017 millions | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 157,886 millions | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 165,884 millions | +5.1% |
| 2021 | 161,592 millions | -2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 64,419 millions | 52,184 millions | 73,624 millions | 7 |
| 1980s | 65,759 millions | 62,982 millions | 68,168 millions | 10 |
| 1990s | 78,859 millions | 68,745 millions | 87,326 millions | 8 |
| 2000s | 113,942 millions | 85,275 millions | 133,200 millions | 10 |
| 2010s | 150,887 millions | 142,955 millions | 157,886 millions | 9 |
| 2020s | 163,738 millions | 161,592 millions | 165,884 millions | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.2 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 242,999 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 38,128 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.81 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.98 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 1.38 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 2.5 % change on previous year (2023)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, constant us$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Government expenditure on education, constant us$ in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 161,592 millions in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, constant us$ recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 165,884 millions in 2020.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, constant us$ recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 52,184 millions in 1971.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for government expenditure on education, constant us$?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 4th out of 174 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government expenditure on education, constant us$ rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on education, constant US$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release