Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Government expenditure on education, total was 3.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1995–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 3.8% for government expenditure on education, total in 2023.
The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 5.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1995.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 16th 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 3.0% | — |
| 1998 | 3.2% | +8.1% |
| 1999 | 3.7% | +14.9% |
| 2000 | 3.6% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 3.8% | +5.6% |
| 2002 | 3.8% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 3.5% | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | +17.6% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | +14.9% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | -12.8% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 4.7% | +12.1% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 4.4% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | -0.0% |
| 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 | 3.8% | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 3.8% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 3.5% | 5.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 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
- 19 Republic of Moldova 6.6% compare
More education data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.22 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 62.34 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 60.53 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1513 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0936 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 22.3% (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1995.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 16th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.