Government expenditure on education, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on education, total was 5.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Government expenditure on education, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2021
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 5.9% for government expenditure on education, total in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.6% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 6.4% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 1999.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 31st out of 196 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Government expenditure on education, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.0% | — |
| 1972 | 5.2% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 5.4% | +5.6% |
| 1974 | 5.4% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 6.3% | +16.3% |
| 1976 | 6.4% | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 6.1% | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 5.1% | -16.4% |
| 1981 | 5.3% | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 5.2% | -1.9% |
| 1983 | 5.1% | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 4.6% | -6.2% |
| 1986 | 4.4% | -4.6% |
| 1987 | 4.4% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 4.1% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 4.3% | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 4.9% | +11.9% |
| 1995 | 4.8% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | -9.5% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 4.0% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 4.1% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 4.6% | +12.5% |
| 2003 | 4.8% | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 5.0% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 4.9% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 5.7% | +12.6% |
| 2011 | 5.6% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 5.5% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 5.6% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 5.4% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 5.3% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 5.9% | +8.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.7% | 5.0% | 6.4% | 7 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.1% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.9% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.4% | 5.9% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Government expenditure on education, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 5.9% in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 1976.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 1999.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 31st out of 196 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.