Government expenditure on education, total in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Government expenditure on education, total was 4.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on education, total in Timor-Leste, 2008–2025
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 Timor-Leste is 4.3%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
That represents a change of down 31.0% on the previous year and down 49.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Timor-Leste peaked at 10.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2025.
Timor-Leste ranks 190th of 193 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 7.1% | — |
| 2009 | 10.6% | +49.3% |
| 2010 | 9.2% | -13.5% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | -16.4% |
| 2012 | 5.5% | -27.6% |
| 2013 | 5.9% | +6.4% |
| 2014 | 6.8% | +14.9% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | +27.5% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | -16.1% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | +13.4% |
| 2018 | 8.0% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | -14.2% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | +7.4% |
| 2024 | 6.3% | -16.0% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | -31.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.1% | 10.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 5.5% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3% | 4.3% | 7.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
- 187 Antigua and Barbuda 5.9% compare
- 188 Dominica 5.8% compare
- 189 Eritrea 5.4%
- 191 Papua New Guinea 3.5% compare
- 192 Nigeria 3.0% compare
- 193 South Sudan 0.0% compare
More education data for Timor-Leste
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 112,858 (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 83,943 (2020)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 227,656 (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2020)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7,144 (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1645 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 114,798 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, total in Timor-Leste?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Timor-Leste was 4.3% in 2025, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 10.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2025.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Timor-Leste ranks 190th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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.