Government expenditure on education, total in Norway

Norway: Government expenditure on education, total was 5.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
5.4%
Change on year
down 22.0%
World rank
41st
of 196 countries
All-time high
8.4%
in 2020
All-time low
5.3%
in 1985
Years of data
50
1972–2022

Government expenditure on education, total in Norway, 1972–2022

02468197219972022

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

Analysis

In 2022, government expenditure on education, total in Norway stood at 5.4%.

The figure is down 22.0% on the previous year and down 25.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Norway peaked at 8.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 1985.

That places Norway 41st out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 50 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education, total in Norway, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Norway, 1972 to 2022.
Year % of GDP Change
1972 5.9%
1973 5.9% -0.2%
1974 5.7% -3.7%
1975 5.6% -2.2%
1976 6.2% +11.1%
1977 6.0% -3.1%
1978 6.4% +7.9%
1980 5.8% -10.3%
1981 5.5% -4.1%
1982 5.7% +2.4%
1983 5.6% -0.6%
1984 5.4% -3.8%
1985 5.3% -3.2%
1986 5.5% +5.4%
1987 5.8% +4.5%
1988 5.9% +1.3%
1989 6.3% +7.4%
1990 6.3% +0.2%
1991 6.4% +1.0%
1992 6.6% +4.1%
1993 7.7% +15.7%
1994 7.8% +2.0%
1995 7.7% -1.7%
1996 7.1% -7.2%
1997 7.3% +2.3%
1998 7.4% +0.7%
1999 7.0% -5.4%
2000 6.5% -7.2%
2001 6.8% +5.6%
2002 7.4% +8.8%
2003 7.4% -0.3%
2004 7.3% -1.6%
2005 6.8% -6.0%
2006 6.4% -7.1%
2007 6.5% +2.3%
2008 6.2% -4.0%
2009 7.1% +13.1%
2010 6.7% -5.1%
2011 6.4% -4.4%
2012 7.3% +14.2%
2013 7.4% +1.5%
2014 7.6% +2.8%
2015 7.5% -1.6%
2016 8.0% +6.1%
2017 7.8% -1.7%
2018 7.6% -3.2%
2019 7.9% +3.5%
2020 8.4% +6.5%
2021 7.0% -16.9%
2022 5.4% -22.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.9% 5.6% 6.4% 7
1980s 5.7% 5.3% 6.3% 10
1990s 7.1% 6.3% 7.8% 10
2000s 6.8% 6.2% 7.4% 10
2010s 7.4% 6.4% 8.0% 10
2020s 6.9% 5.4% 8.4% 3

Countries ranked near Norway

  1. 38 Curaçao 5.4% compare
  2. 39 Tajikistan 5.4% compare
  3. 40 Palestine, State of 5.4% compare
  4. 42 United States of America 5.4% compare
  5. 43 Republic of Korea 5.4% compare
  6. 44 Dominica 5.4% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Norway

All data for Norway →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Norway?
Government expenditure on education, total in Norway was 5.4% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Norway?
The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 2020.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Norway?
The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 1985.
How does Norway rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Norway ranks 41st out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Norway?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Norway 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 Norway. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/norway/

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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.