Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP was 0.2% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 0.2%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 10.0% on the previous year and down 25.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 0.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1971.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 90th out of 169 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.0% | — |
| 1972 | 0.0% | — |
| 1973 | 0.0% | — |
| 1974 | 0.0% | — |
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1981 | 0.0% | — |
| 1982 | 0.1% | — |
| 1983 | 0.1% | -6.7% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | +5.1% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 0.1% | +8.9% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 0.1% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | +6.3% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | +6.1% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -33.3% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | +205.8% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | +6.6% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -21.3% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | +12.4% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | -17.4% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 0.2% | -34.1% |
| 2016 | 0.2% | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | +13.7% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | +10.0% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 0.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.4%, 58% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 0.2% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.6%, 42% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +205.8% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 7 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 8 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 0.2% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2002.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1971.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 90th out of 169 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release