Government expenditure on education, total in Caribbean Small States
Caribbean Small States: Government expenditure on education, total was 3.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on education, total in Caribbean Small States, 1980–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Caribbean Small States recorded 3.2% for government expenditure on education, total 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, total in Caribbean Small States peaked at 5.9% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1998.
That places Caribbean Small States 37th out of 46 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Caribbean Small States, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | 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% |
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 Caribbean Small States
- 34 Brazil 5.6% compare
- 35 Jamaica 5.5% compare
- 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
More education data for Caribbean Small States
- Population ages 15-64 67.9% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1373 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.5083 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 623,110 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 516,603 (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 41,622 (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 21.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Caribbean Small States?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Caribbean Small States 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 Caribbean Small States?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1984.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Caribbean Small States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1998.
- How does Caribbean Small States rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Caribbean Small States ranks 37th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Caribbean Small States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Caribbean Small States 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.