Government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Government expenditure on education, total was 2.8% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
2.8%
Change on year
up 5.8%
World rank
157th
of 196 countries
All-time high
7.1%
in 1981
All-time low
2.6%
in 2014
Years of data
45
1971–2023

Government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1971–2023

024681971199720231971: 2.8 % of GDP1972: 2.8 % of GDP1973: 2.9 % of GDP1974: 2.7 % of GDP1975: 3 % of GDP1977: 5.4 % of GDP1981: 7.1 % of GDP1982: 5.8 % of GDP1983: 4.2 % of GDP1984: 3.8 % of GDP1985: 3.5 % of GDP1986: 3.6 % of GDP1987: 4.1 % of GDP1988: 3.7 % of GDP1989: 4 % of GDP1990: 3.8 % of GDP1991: 3.7 % of GDP1992: 3.6 % of GDP1993: 4.3 % of GDP1995: 4.1 % of GDP1996: 3.5 % of GDP1999: 4.2 % of GDP2000: 4 % of GDP2001: 4.1 % of GDP2002: 4.5 % of GDP2003: 4.4 % of GDP2004: 4.3 % of GDP2005: 4.1 % of GDP2006: 4.3 % of GDP2007: 4.6 % of GDP2008: 3.9 % of GDP2009: 3.8 % of GDP2010: 3.7 % of GDP2011: 3.5 % of GDP2012: 2.9 % of GDP2013: 2.9 % of GDP2014: 2.6 % of GDP2015: 2.6 % of GDP2016: 3.2 % of GDP2017: 3.5 % of GDP2018: 3.6 % of GDP2019: 3.2 % of GDP2020: 3.2 % of GDP2022: 2.7 % of GDP2023: 2.8 % of GDP

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of is 2.8%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 5.8% on the previous year and down 1.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 7.1% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2014.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 157th of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1971 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1971 2.8%
1972 2.8% -0.1%
1973 2.9% +4.0%
1974 2.7% -6.5%
1975 3.0% +10.2%
1977 5.4% +82.6%
1981 7.1% +31.7%
1982 5.8% -18.6%
1983 4.2% -27.9%
1984 3.8% -9.1%
1985 3.5% -9.0%
1986 3.6% +3.2%
1987 4.1% +16.0%
1988 3.7% -11.1%
1989 4.0% +8.6%
1990 3.8% -5.6%
1991 3.7% -0.8%
1992 3.6% -2.8%
1993 4.3% +18.5%
1995 4.1% -5.4%
1996 3.5% -13.3%
1999 4.2% +19.3%
2000 4.0% -4.5%
2001 4.1% +1.0%
2002 4.5% +10.1%
2003 4.4% -2.7%
2004 4.3% -1.5%
2005 4.1% -5.6%
2006 4.3% +5.8%
2007 4.6% +7.2%
2008 3.9% -14.9%
2009 3.8% -1.8%
2010 3.7% -3.5%
2011 3.5% -6.0%
2012 2.9% -15.7%
2013 2.9% -2.9%
2014 2.6% -8.3%
2015 2.6% +0.5%
2016 3.2% +20.7%
2017 3.5% +9.0%
2018 3.6% +4.6%
2019 3.2% -10.5%
2020 3.2% -1.1%
2022 2.7% -16.7%
2023 2.8% +5.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.2% 2.7% 5.4% 6
1980s 4.4% 3.5% 7.1% 9
1990s 3.9% 3.5% 4.3% 7
2000s 4.2% 3.8% 4.6% 10
2010s 3.2% 2.6% 3.7% 10
2020s 2.9% 2.7% 3.2% 3

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 154 Suriname 2.9% compare
  2. 155 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.8% compare
  3. 156 Cameroon 2.8% compare
  4. 158 Gambia 2.8% compare
  5. 159 Malawi 2.7% compare
  6. 160 Bahamas 2.7% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Iran, Islamic Republic of

All data for Iran, Islamic Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Government expenditure on education, total in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 2.8% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 1981.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2014.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 157th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of. 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/iran-islamic-rep/

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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.