Government expenditure on education, total in Denmark
Denmark: Government expenditure on education, total was 6.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Denmark, 1970–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2022, government expenditure on education, total in Denmark stood at 6.4%.
The figure is down 8.7% on the previous year and down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Denmark peaked at 8.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1979.
Denmark ranks 23rd of 196 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6.0% | — |
| 1971 | 6.4% | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 6.5% | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 6.3% | -3.3% |
| 1974 | 6.6% | +5.1% |
| 1975 | 6.7% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 5.7% | -15.5% |
| 1978 | 5.8% | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 5.6% | -3.0% |
| 1980 | 5.9% | +6.3% |
| 1986 | 5.9% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 6.1% | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 6.3% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 5.8% | -7.8% |
| 1991 | 5.6% | -4.2% |
| 1993 | 7.8% | +38.9% |
| 1994 | 7.5% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 7.5% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 7.9% | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 8.1% | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 7.9% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 8.1% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 8.2% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 8.1% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 8.2% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 8.1% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 7.7% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 7.6% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 7.4% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 8.4% | +13.0% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 8.5% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | -14.5% |
| 2013 | 8.5% | +16.9% |
| 2014 | 7.6% | -9.8% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 7.4% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 7.4% | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 7.0% | -5.8% |
| 2022 | 6.4% | -8.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.2% | 5.6% | 6.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | 6.0% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 5 |
| 1990s | 7.5% | 5.6% | 8.1% | 7 |
| 2000s | 8.0% | 7.4% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.8% | 7.2% | 8.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More education data for Denmark
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 88,072 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 522,143 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 432,238 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8558 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0723 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 432,238 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.8558 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Denmark?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Denmark was 6.4% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 8.6% in 2010.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1979.
- How does Denmark rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Denmark ranks 23rd out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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.