Government expenditure on education, total in Small states
Small states: Government expenditure on education, total was 4.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Small states, 1980–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on education, total in Small states is 4.8%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Small states peaked at 6.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 1990.
Small states ranks 5th of 46 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Small states, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.8% | — |
| 1982 | 5.5% | +44.8% |
| 1983 | 5.1% | -6.9% |
| 1984 | 5.0% | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 4.8% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 3.8% | -20.8% |
| 1990 | 3.4% | -11.6% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | +31.6% |
| 1995 | 4.7% | +5.9% |
| 1996 | 4.7% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 4.8% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | -10.2% |
| 1999 | 4.5% | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 4.5% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -12.7% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | +20.6% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 5.5% | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 6.3% | +14.1% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | -27.0% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | +43.3% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 5.8% | -10.1% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 4.7% | -18.8% |
| 2013 | 4.9% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 4.8% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 4.9% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 4.8% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 4.8% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.7% | 3.8% | 5.5% | 6 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 7 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 4.0% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 4.7% | 5.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More education data for Small states
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.13 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.48 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 24.2% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2538 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 66.0% (2025)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 243,069 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Small states?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Small states was 4.8% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 2008.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 1990.
- How does Small states rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Small states ranks 5th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Small states 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.