Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Government expenditure on education, total was 3.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central, 1999–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central stood at 3.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.2% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central peaked at 3.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2004.
That places Africa Western and Central 39th out of 46 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2.3% | — |
| 2000 | 2.5% | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 2.2% | -4.7% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +9.0% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +16.4% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -6.4% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 2.7% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 3.1% | +17.7% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | -17.9% |
| 2017 | 3.1% | +21.1% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | +11.2% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | -6.6% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | +11.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 36 Uzbekistan 5.5% compare
- 37 Samoa 5.5% compare
- 38 Curaçao 5.4% compare
- 39 Tajikistan 5.4% compare
- 40 Palestine, State of 5.4% compare
- 41 Norway 5.4% compare
- 42 United States of America 5.4% compare
More education data for Africa Western and Central
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 35.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.77 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9058 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1455 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central was 3.2% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2004.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 39th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.