Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Government expenditure on education, total was 3.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean, 1995–2023
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 Latin America & Caribbean is 3.8%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 5.5% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1995.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 15th out of 46 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3.0% | — |
| 1998 | 3.3% | +9.8% |
| 1999 | 3.8% | +14.5% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | -9.0% |
| 2004 | 3.7% | +5.7% |
| 2006 | 3.9% | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 4.6% | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 5.5% | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 4.6% | -15.8% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | -9.8% |
| 2012 | 4.8% | +14.9% |
| 2013 | 4.9% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 4.7% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 4.4% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 4.5% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 4.5% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | -9.9% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.8% | 3 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.5% | 5.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 12 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 7.5% compare
- 13 Sweden 7.3% compare
- 14 Iceland 7.3% compare
- 15 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 6.9% compare
- 16 Kyrgyzstan 6.8% compare
- 17 Tunisia 6.7% compare
- 18 Lesotho 6.6% compare
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.34 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 63.30 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 61.44 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1923 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0928 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 22.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean was 3.8% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 5.5% in 2009.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1995.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 15th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.