Government expenditure on education, total in Uruguay

Uruguay: Government expenditure on education, total was 4.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
4.8%
Change on year
up 6.4%
World rank
70th
of 196 countries
All-time high
4.8%
in 2023
All-time low
2.0%
in 1979
Years of data
31
1979–2023

Government expenditure on education, total in Uruguay, 1979–2023

0123451979200120231979: 2 % of GDP1980: 2.2 % of GDP1984: 2.4 % of GDP1985: 2.6 % of GDP1986: 3.1 % of GDP1991: 2.5 % of GDP1992: 2.4 % of GDP1994: 2.3 % of GDP1995: 2.5 % of GDP1996: 2.9 % of GDP1998: 2.2 % of GDP2000: 2.4 % of GDP2001: 2.8 % of GDP2002: 2.3 % of GDP2003: 2.1 % of GDP2004: 2.5 % of GDP2005: 2.7 % of GDP2006: 2.9 % of GDP2011: 4.1 % of GDP2012: 4.1 % of GDP2013: 4.2 % of GDP2014: 4.3 % of GDP2015: 4.2 % of GDP2016: 4.4 % of GDP2017: 4.4 % of GDP2018: 4.6 % of GDP2019: 4.6 % of GDP2020: 4.6 % of GDP2021: 4.5 % of GDP2022: 4.5 % of GDP2023: 4.8 % of GDP

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

Analysis

Uruguay recorded 4.8% for government expenditure on education, total in 2023. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 12.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Uruguay peaked at 4.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1979.

That places Uruguay 70th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Uruguay, 1979 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1979 2.0%
1980 2.2% +8.7%
1984 2.4% +9.9%
1985 2.6% +8.1%
1986 3.1% +20.9%
1991 2.5% -20.1%
1992 2.4% -2.7%
1994 2.3% -5.8%
1995 2.5% +11.0%
1996 2.9% +13.8%
1998 2.2% -21.8%
2000 2.4% +8.0%
2001 2.8% +15.6%
2002 2.3% -17.1%
2003 2.1% -10.9%
2004 2.5% +20.9%
2005 2.7% +8.6%
2006 2.9% +5.2%
2011 4.1% +45.3%
2012 4.1% -1.3%
2013 4.2% +3.6%
2014 4.3% +0.7%
2015 4.2% -1.4%
2016 4.4% +3.8%
2017 4.4% +1.2%
2018 4.6% +4.2%
2019 4.6% +0.5%
2020 4.6% -1.6%
2021 4.5% -2.0%
2022 4.5% +0.4%
2023 4.8% +6.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 1
1980s 2.6% 2.2% 3.1% 4
1990s 2.5% 2.2% 2.9% 6
2000s 2.5% 2.1% 2.9% 7
2010s 4.3% 4.1% 4.6% 9
2020s 4.6% 4.5% 4.8% 4

Countries ranked near Uruguay

  1. 67 Kazakhstan 4.9% compare
  2. 68 Switzerland 4.9% compare
  3. 69 Canada 4.8% compare
  4. 71 Cyprus 4.7% compare
  5. 72 Malta 4.7% compare
  6. 73 Slovakia 4.7% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Uruguay

All data for Uruguay →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education, total in Uruguay?
Government expenditure on education, total in Uruguay 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 Uruguay?
The highest recorded value was 4.8% in 2023.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Uruguay?
The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1979.
How does Uruguay rank for government expenditure on education, total?
Uruguay ranks 70th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Uruguay?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uruguay 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 Uruguay. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-total-percent-of-gdp/uruguay/

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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.