Government expenditure on education, total in Euro area

Euro area: Government expenditure on education, total was 4.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
4.7%
Change on year
down 4.2%
Rank
6th
of 46 groups
All-time high
5.6%
in 2009
All-time low
4.3%
in 1974
Years of data
39
1974–2022

Government expenditure on education, total in Euro area, 1974–2022

02461974199820221974: 4.3 % of GDP1976: 4.4 % of GDP1978: 4.4 % of GDP1979: 4.8 % of GDP1986: 4.9 % of GDP1987: 4.7 % of GDP1988: 4.6 % of GDP1990: 4.5 % of GDP1991: 4.8 % of GDP1992: 5 % of GDP1993: 5 % of GDP1994: 4.7 % of GDP1995: 4.6 % of GDP1996: 4.8 % of GDP1998: 4.5 % of GDP1999: 4.5 % of GDP2000: 4.6 % of GDP2001: 5 % of GDP2002: 4.8 % of GDP2003: 5 % of GDP2004: 5 % of GDP2005: 4.9 % of GDP2006: 4.9 % of GDP2007: 4.7 % of GDP2008: 5 % of GDP2009: 5.6 % of GDP2010: 5.4 % of GDP2011: 5.2 % of GDP2012: 4.9 % of GDP2013: 5.2 % of GDP2014: 5 % of GDP2015: 4.9 % of GDP2016: 4.8 % of GDP2017: 4.8 % of GDP2018: 4.5 % of GDP2019: 4.6 % of GDP2020: 5.1 % of GDP2021: 4.9 % of GDP2022: 4.7 % of GDP

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2022, government expenditure on education, total in Euro area stood at 4.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.2% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Euro area peaked at 5.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 1974.

That places Euro area 6th out of 46 groups with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Euro area, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Euro area, 1974 to 2022.
Year % of GDP Change
1974 4.3%
1976 4.4% +2.5%
1978 4.4% +0.1%
1979 4.8% +9.3%
1986 4.9% +1.2%
1987 4.7% -3.9%
1988 4.6% -1.7%
1990 4.5% -1.7%
1991 4.8% +6.2%
1992 5.0% +4.7%
1993 5.0% -1.1%
1994 4.7% -5.4%
1995 4.6% -1.5%
1996 4.8% +3.0%
1998 4.5% -5.6%
1999 4.5% +0.3%
2000 4.6% +1.8%
2001 5.0% +8.2%
2002 4.8% -3.5%
2003 5.0% +4.8%
2004 5.0% -1.2%
2005 4.9% -1.6%
2006 4.9% +0.6%
2007 4.7% -3.9%
2008 5.0% +6.0%
2009 5.6% +12.0%
2010 5.4% -3.4%
2011 5.2% -4.6%
2012 4.9% -4.1%
2013 5.2% +5.9%
2014 5.0% -4.9%
2015 4.9% -1.6%
2016 4.8% -1.4%
2017 4.8% -0.9%
2018 4.5% -5.1%
2019 4.6% +2.0%
2020 5.1% +11.2%
2021 4.9% -3.8%
2022 4.7% -4.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.5% 4.3% 4.8% 4
1980s 4.7% 4.6% 4.9% 3
1990s 4.7% 4.5% 5.0% 9
2000s 4.9% 4.6% 5.6% 10
2010s 4.9% 4.5% 5.4% 10
2020s 4.9% 4.7% 5.1% 3

Countries ranked near Euro area

  1. 3 Micronesia, Federated States of 11.6% compare
  2. 4 Namibia 9.1% compare
  3. 5 Algeria 9.0% compare
  4. 6 Cuba 8.4% compare
  5. 7 Solomon Islands 8.3% compare
  6. 8 Botswana 8.1% compare
  7. 9 Marshall Islands 7.7% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Euro area

All data for Euro area →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Euro area?
Government expenditure on education, total in Euro area was 4.7% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Euro area?
The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 2009.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Euro area?
The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 1974.
How does Euro area rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Euro area ranks 6th out of 46 groups with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Euro area?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Euro area 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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Government expenditure on education, total in Euro area. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/euro-area/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 6,340 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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.