Government expenditure on education, total in South Asia
South Asia: Government expenditure on education, total was 11.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in South Asia, 1981–2025
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 11.3% for government expenditure on education, total in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in South Asia peaked at 20.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1982.
That places South Asia 41st out of 46 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 3.3% | — |
| 1982 | 3.2% | -3.6% |
| 1983 | 3.2% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 4.0% | +24.9% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | +3.7% |
| 1986 | 4.6% | +8.8% |
| 1987 | 5.2% | +14.7% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | +6.9% |
| 1991 | 11.0% | +96.0% |
| 1997 | 14.3% | +30.0% |
| 1998 | 11.7% | -18.2% |
| 1999 | 17.0% | +45.3% |
| 2000 | 19.2% | +12.9% |
| 2001 | 20.1% | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | -10.2% |
| 2003 | 16.7% | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 16.8% | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 17.3% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 19.6% | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 20.0% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 12.6% | -37.0% |
| 2010 | 11.8% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | +28.3% |
| 2012 | 14.9% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 14.0% | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 14.5% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | +20.6% |
| 2017 | 15.8% | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | -10.3% |
| 2019 | 12.1% | -14.5% |
| 2020 | 15.0% | +24.0% |
| 2021 | 13.6% | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 12.4% | -8.5% |
| 2023 | 13.0% | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 11.3% | -13.4% |
| 2025 | 11.3% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.0% | 3.2% | 5.2% | 7 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 5.6% | 17.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 17.6% | 12.6% | 20.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 11.8% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 11.3% | 15.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More education data for South Asia
- Population ages 0-14 24.6% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0959 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 152.88 million (2024)
- Population ages 15-64 68.1% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 160.82 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.84 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in South Asia?
- Government expenditure on education, total in South Asia was 11.3% in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1982.
- How does South Asia rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- South Asia ranks 41st out of 46 groups with data for 2025.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.