Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Government expenditure on education, total was 3.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
3.5%
Change on year
up 11.5%
Rank
25th
of 46 groups
All-time high
5.6%
in 1982
All-time low
3.2%
in 2022
Years of data
17
1977–2023

Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1977–2023

02461977200020231977: 4.3 % of GDP1980: 4.6 % of GDP1982: 5.6 % of GDP1989: 4 % of GDP1996: 3.7 % of GDP2008: 4.1 % of GDP2010: 3.5 % of GDP2012: 3.3 % of GDP2014: 3.8 % of GDP2015: 3.7 % of GDP2016: 3.7 % of GDP2017: 3.6 % of GDP2018: 3.6 % of GDP2019: 3.2 % of GDP2020: 3.6 % of GDP2022: 3.2 % of GDP2023: 3.5 % of GDP

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

Analysis

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) recorded 3.5% for government expenditure on education, total in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.5% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 5.6% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 2022.

That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 25th out of 46 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1977 to 2023.
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 3.5% -15.4%
2012 3.3% -5.5%
2014 3.8% +14.6%
2015 3.7% -2.9%
2016 3.7% +0.9%
2017 3.6% -2.5%
2018 3.6% +0.6%
2019 3.2% -10.5%
2020 3.6% +9.7%
2022 3.2% -11.3%
2023 3.5% +11.5%

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 3.5% 3.2% 3.8% 8
2020s 3.4% 3.2% 3.6% 3

Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

  1. 22 Finland 6.4% compare
  2. 23 Denmark 6.4% compare
  3. 24 Belgium 6.3% compare
  4. 25 Senegal 6.2% compare
  5. 26 Eswatini 6.0%
  6. 27 South Africa 6.0%
  7. 28 Morocco 6.0% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)

All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Government expenditure on education, total in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 3.5% in 2023, 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 (IDA & IBRD)?
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 (IDA & IBRD)?
The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 2022.
How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 25th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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 (IDA & IBRD). 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-ida-and-ibrd/

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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.