Government expenditure on education in France

France: Government expenditure on education was 5.32 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
5.32
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
17th
of 68 countries
All-time high
5.81
in 1995
All-time low
3.21
in 1971
Years of data
34
1970–2022

Government expenditure on education in France, 1970–2022

02461970199620221970: 3.51971: 3.21972: 3.41973: 3.31974: 4.31975: 4.51976: 4.51977: 4.51978: 4.41979: 4.31980: 4.31981: 4.81982: 4.91983: 4.91984: 4.91985: 4.91986: 4.71987: 4.71988: 4.61989: 4.51990: 4.61991: 4.91992: 4.81993: 5.51994: 5.71995: 5.81996: 5.81998: 5.72017: 5.52018: 5.42019: 5.42020: 5.72021: 5.42022: 5.3

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on education in France is 5.32, measured in 2022.

That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education in France peaked at 5.81 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 3.21, in 1971.

That places France 17th out of 68 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education in France, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) in France, 1970 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1970 3.47
1971 3.21 -7.4%
1972 3.39 +5.7%
1973 3.26 -4.0%
1974 4.28 +31.4%
1975 4.48 +4.7%
1976 4.47 -0.2%
1977 4.47 +0.1%
1978 4.39 -1.9%
1979 4.32 -1.5%
1980 4.35 +0.7%
1981 4.78 +9.9%
1982 4.91 +2.7%
1983 4.91 +0.0%
1984 4.92 +0.2%
1985 4.9 -0.3%
1986 4.75 -3.2%
1987 4.66 -1.8%
1988 4.58 -1.8%
1989 4.49 -1.9%
1990 4.56 +1.4%
1991 4.88 +7.1%
1992 4.78 -2.2%
1993 5.46 +14.4%
1994 5.66 +3.6%
1995 5.81 +2.7%
1996 5.78 -0.5%
1998 5.71 -1.2%
2017 5.46 -4.3%
2018 5.43 -0.7%
2019 5.37 -1.1%
2020 5.66 +5.4%
2021 5.42 -4.3%
2022 5.32 -1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.97 3.21 4.48 10
1980s 4.73 4.35 4.92 10
1990s 5.33 4.56 5.81 8
2010s 5.42 5.37 5.46 3
2020s 5.47 5.32 5.66 3

Countries ranked near France

  1. 14 Tajikistan 5.44 compare
  2. 15 Palestine, State of 5.43 compare
  3. 16 Norway 5.43 compare
  4. 18 Slovenia 5.28 compare
  5. 19 Austria 5.28 compare
  6. 20 Germany 5.24 compare

See the full ranking of 68 places →

More education data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education in France?
Government expenditure on education in France was 5.32 in 2022, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest government expenditure on education recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 5.81 in 1995.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 3.21 in 1971.
How does France rank for government expenditure on education?
France ranks 17th out of 68 countries with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Government expenditure on education (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on education in France. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-percent-of-gdp/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
68 places, 1,951 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed