Government expenditure on education, total in Italy

Italy: Government expenditure on education, total was 4.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
4.1%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
104th
of 196 countries
All-time high
4.8%
in 1984
All-time low
2.9%
in 1971
Years of data
41
1970–2022

Government expenditure on education, total in Italy, 1970–2022

0123451970199620221970: 3.4 % of GDP1971: 2.9 % of GDP1974: 3.8 % of GDP1975: 3.7 % of GDP1976: 3.9 % of GDP1978: 3.8 % of GDP1979: 4.2 % of GDP1983: 4.5 % of GDP1984: 4.8 % of GDP1985: 4.7 % of GDP1986: 4.6 % of GDP1988: 4.6 % of GDP1993: 4.7 % of GDP1994: 4.4 % of GDP1995: 4.3 % of GDP1996: 4.4 % of GDP1998: 4.4 % of GDP1999: 4.5 % of GDP2000: 4.3 % of GDP2001: 4.6 % of GDP2002: 4.4 % of GDP2003: 4.5 % of GDP2004: 4.4 % of GDP2005: 4.2 % of GDP2006: 4.5 % of GDP2007: 4.1 % of GDP2008: 4.4 % of GDP2009: 4.5 % of GDP2010: 4.3 % of GDP2011: 4.1 % of GDP2012: 4 % of GDP2013: 4.1 % of GDP2014: 4 % of GDP2015: 4.1 % of GDP2016: 3.8 % of GDP2017: 4 % of GDP2018: 4.2 % of GDP2019: 4.1 % of GDP2020: 4.4 % of GDP2021: 4.2 % of GDP2022: 4.1 % 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 Italy is 4.1%, measured in 2022.

That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Italy peaked at 4.8% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 1971.

Italy ranks 104th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Italy, 1970 to 2022.
Year % of GDP Change
1970 3.4%
1971 2.9% -13.9%
1974 3.8% +32.3%
1975 3.7% -3.2%
1976 3.9% +5.6%
1978 3.8% -3.6%
1979 4.2% +10.1%
1983 4.5% +7.8%
1984 4.8% +6.4%
1985 4.7% -1.8%
1986 4.6% -0.7%
1988 4.6% -1.3%
1993 4.7% +3.1%
1994 4.4% -6.3%
1995 4.3% -2.6%
1996 4.4% +3.0%
1998 4.4% +0.0%
1999 4.5% +1.4%
2000 4.3% -4.9%
2001 4.6% +8.3%
2002 4.4% -4.7%
2003 4.5% +2.5%
2004 4.4% -3.5%
2005 4.2% -3.4%
2006 4.5% +6.7%
2007 4.1% -9.3%
2008 4.4% +7.0%
2009 4.5% +3.0%
2010 4.3% -4.2%
2011 4.1% -5.1%
2012 4.0% -1.5%
2013 4.1% +2.2%
2014 4.0% -2.0%
2015 4.1% +0.3%
2016 3.8% -6.4%
2017 4.0% +6.1%
2018 4.2% +5.3%
2019 4.1% -3.8%
2020 4.4% +8.3%
2021 4.2% -5.6%
2022 4.1% -2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 3.7% 2.9% 4.2% 7
1980s 4.6% 4.5% 4.8% 5
1990s 4.5% 4.3% 4.7% 6
2000s 4.4% 4.1% 4.6% 10
2010s 4.1% 3.8% 4.3% 10
2020s 4.2% 4.1% 4.4% 3

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 101 Croatia 4.1% compare
  2. 102 Niger 4.1% compare
  3. 103 Zambia 4.1% compare
  4. 105 Mexico 4.1% compare
  5. 106 Kenya 4.0% compare
  6. 107 Georgia 4.0% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Italy?
Government expenditure on education, total in Italy was 4.1% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Italy?
The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 1984.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 1971.
How does Italy rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Italy ranks 104th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy 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 Italy. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/italy/

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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.