Government expenditure on education, total in Malaysia
Malaysia: Government expenditure on education, total was 14.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Malaysia, 1981–2023
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 Malaysia is 14.1%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 30.0% on the previous year and down 27.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Malaysia peaked at 25.9% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1981.
Malaysia ranks 76th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.0% | — |
| 1984 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 0.0% | — |
| 1986 | 0.0% | — |
| 1987 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 19.1% | — |
| 1993 | 17.3% | -9.4% |
| 1994 | 19.9% | +15.1% |
| 1995 | 19.5% | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 22.8% | +16.8% |
| 1997 | 20.1% | -11.9% |
| 1999 | 21.2% | +5.7% |
| 2000 | 21.4% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 24.3% | +13.8% |
| 2002 | 25.9% | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 24.5% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 21.0% | -14.4% |
| 2006 | 16.7% | -20.3% |
| 2007 | 16.1% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 14.0% | -12.9% |
| 2009 | 18.5% | +31.5% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 21.0% | +14.0% |
| 2012 | 19.9% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 19.5% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 19.8% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 19.8% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 20.8% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 21.2% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 19.6% | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 17.6% | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 15.6% | -11.4% |
| 2021 | 20.5% | +31.0% |
| 2022 | 20.1% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 14.1% | -30.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6 |
| 1990s | 20.0% | 17.3% | 22.8% | 7 |
| 2000s | 20.3% | 14.0% | 25.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 17.6% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 14.1% | 20.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Malaysia?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Malaysia was 14.1% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 25.9% in 2002.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1981.
- How does Malaysia rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Malaysia ranks 76th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.