Government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income

Lower middle income: Government expenditure on education, total was 3.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
3.4%
Change on year
down 2.3%
Rank
29th
of 46 groups
All-time high
4.4%
in 2013
All-time low
2.5%
in 2000
Years of data
24
1999–2023

Government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income, 1999–2023

012341999201120231999: 2.9 % of GDP2000: 2.5 % of GDP2001: 2.6 % of GDP2002: 2.8 % of GDP2003: 2.9 % of GDP2004: 2.8 % of GDP2005: 3.2 % of GDP2006: 3.4 % of GDP2008: 3.8 % of GDP2009: 4 % of GDP2010: 3.7 % of GDP2011: 3.6 % of GDP2012: 3.8 % of GDP2013: 4.4 % of GDP2014: 3.8 % of GDP2015: 4.1 % of GDP2016: 4.1 % of GDP2017: 3.8 % of GDP2018: 3.9 % of GDP2019: 3.6 % of GDP2020: 3.9 % of GDP2021: 3.4 % of GDP2022: 3.5 % of GDP2023: 3.4 % of GDP

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

Analysis

In 2023, government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income stood at 3.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income peaked at 4.4% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2000.

Lower middle income ranks 29th of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Lower middle income, 1999 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1999 2.9%
2000 2.5% -13.3%
2001 2.6% +1.3%
2002 2.8% +8.7%
2003 2.9% +2.0%
2004 2.8% -1.9%
2005 3.2% +14.1%
2006 3.4% +6.7%
2008 3.8% +11.2%
2009 4.0% +4.7%
2010 3.7% -7.7%
2011 3.6% -2.2%
2012 3.8% +5.7%
2013 4.4% +17.4%
2014 3.8% -14.8%
2015 4.1% +8.8%
2016 4.1% -0.8%
2017 3.8% -7.7%
2018 3.9% +3.2%
2019 3.6% -7.4%
2020 3.9% +7.5%
2021 3.4% -13.0%
2022 3.5% +3.3%
2023 3.4% -2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% 1
2000s 3.1% 2.5% 4.0% 9
2010s 3.9% 3.6% 4.4% 10
2020s 3.5% 3.4% 3.9% 4

Countries ranked near Lower middle income

  1. 26 Eswatini 6.0% compare
  2. 27 South Africa 6.0% compare
  3. 28 Morocco 6.0% compare
  4. 29 Mozambique 6.0% compare
  5. 30 Israel 5.9% compare
  6. 31 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 5.9% compare
  7. 32 Bhutan 5.8% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Lower middle income

All data for Lower middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income?
Government expenditure on education, total in Lower middle income was 3.4% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Lower middle income?
The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2013.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Lower middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2000.
How does Lower middle income rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Lower middle income ranks 29th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Lower middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lower middle income 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 Lower middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/lower-middle-income/

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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.