Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Government expenditure on education, total was 15.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central, 1999–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2023, government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central stood at 15.3%.
That represents a change of up 3.9% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central peaked at 18.2% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 13.3%, in 2016.
Africa Western and Central ranks 14th of 46 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 15.8% | — |
| 2000 | 15.3% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 15.7% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 14.3% | -8.9% |
| 2003 | 16.1% | +12.5% |
| 2004 | 17.1% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 17.0% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 18.0% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 18.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 16.5% | -9.2% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | -9.9% |
| 2012 | 14.5% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 15.0% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 14.0% | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 13.3% | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 16.1% | +21.3% |
| 2018 | 16.9% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | 14.5% | -14.2% |
| 2020 | 14.8% | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 15.4% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | -4.0% |
| 2023 | 15.3% | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.8% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 16.6% | 14.3% | 18.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 13.3% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 11 Botswana 21.5% compare
- 12 Senegal 20.9% compare
- 13 Dominican Republic 20.9% compare
- 14 Sierra Leone 20.5% compare
- 15 Mozambique 20.4% compare
- 16 Costa Rica 20.4% compare
- 17 Burkina Faso 20.3% compare
More education data for Africa Western and Central
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 35.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 75.77 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9058 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1455 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 56.1% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Africa Western and Central was 15.3% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2009.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.3% in 2016.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 14th out of 46 groups with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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 government expenditure). 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 total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.