Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Government expenditure on education, total was 16.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean, 1995–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean is 16.6%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 17.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1998.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 5th out of 46 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 15.0% | — |
| 1998 | 12.8% | -14.2% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | +14.6% |
| 2000 | 15.3% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 14.7% | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 17.0% | +15.7% |
| 2010 | 16.1% | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 17.1% | +11.7% |
| 2013 | 16.5% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 16.0% | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 16.4% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 17.9% | +9.1% |
| 2017 | 16.7% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 16.6% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 15.4% | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 16.2% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 15.9% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 16.4% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 16.5% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 16.6% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.2% | 12.8% | 15.0% | 3 |
| 2000s | 15.7% | 14.7% | 17.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 16.4% | 15.3% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 15.9% | 16.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More education data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 3.34 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 63.30 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 61.44 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1923 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0928 units per person (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 67.7% (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 22.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Latin America & Caribbean was 16.6% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 17.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1998.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 5th out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.