Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Government expenditure on education, total was 3.7% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
3.7%
Change on year
down 4.8%
Rank
19th
of 46 groups
All-time high
5.6%
in 1982
All-time low
3.5%
in 2013
Years of data
13
1977–2017

Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1977–2017

02461977199720171977: 4.3 % of GDP1980: 4.6 % of GDP1982: 5.6 % of GDP1989: 4 % of GDP1996: 3.7 % of GDP2008: 4.1 % of GDP2010: 3.6 % of GDP2011: 3.5 % of GDP2012: 3.6 % of GDP2013: 3.5 % of GDP2015: 3.7 % of GDP2016: 3.9 % of GDP2017: 3.7 % of GDP

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

Analysis

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) recorded 3.7% for government expenditure on education, total in 2017.

That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 5.6% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2013.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 19th of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1977 to 2017.
Year % of GDP Change
1977 4.3%
1980 4.6% +5.5%
1982 5.6% +22.6%
1989 4.0% -28.1%
1996 3.7% -8.3%
2008 4.1% +11.1%
2010 3.6% -12.6%
2011 3.5% -3.0%
2012 3.6% +4.4%
2013 3.5% -5.0%
2015 3.7% +7.5%
2016 3.9% +5.6%
2017 3.7% -4.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4.3% 4.3% 4.3% 1
1980s 4.7% 4.0% 5.6% 3
1990s 3.7% 3.7% 3.7% 1
2000s 4.1% 4.1% 4.1% 1
2010s 3.6% 3.5% 3.9% 7

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

  1. 16 Kyrgyzstan 6.8% compare
  2. 17 Tunisia 6.7% compare
  3. 18 Lesotho 6.6% compare
  4. 19 Moldova 6.6% compare
  5. 20 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.5% compare
  6. 21 Kuwait 6.4%
  7. 22 Finland 6.4% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 3.7% in 2017, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 1982.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2013.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 19th out of 46 groups with data for 2017.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-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, 5,437 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.