Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Barbados
Barbados: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP was 1.46 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Barbados, 1971–2023
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Barbados is 1.46, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and up 3,349.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Barbados peaked at 2.34 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.0424, in 2015.
That places Barbados 14th out of 34 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Barbados, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 2.09 | — |
| 1972 | 2.16 | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 1.89 | -12.7% |
| 1974 | 2.29 | +21.4% |
| 1976 | 1.49 | -35.0% |
| 1977 | 1.59 | +6.8% |
| 1991 | 2.34 | +47.1% |
| 1999 | 0.9911 | -57.7% |
| 2000 | 1.3 | +31.6% |
| 2001 | 1.77 | +35.9% |
| 2002 | 1.56 | -11.8% |
| 2003 | 1.68 | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 1.65 | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.58 | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 1.81 | +14.7% |
| 2015 | 0.0424 | -97.7% |
| 2016 | 1.66 | +3812.3% |
| 2017 | 1.68 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 1.58 | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 1.57 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 1.43 | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 1.64 | +14.8% |
| 2022 | 1.52 | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 1.46 | -3.4% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 1.46 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.39, 1.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 1.46 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.8326, 1.8× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Barbados 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | +3812.3% | 0.0424 | 1.66 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.92 | 1.49 | 2.29 | 6 |
| 1990s | 1.67 | 0.9911 | 2.34 | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.62 | 1.3 | 1.81 | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.31 | 0.0424 | 1.68 | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.51 | 1.43 | 1.64 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
More education data for Barbados
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1,244 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 279 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2,255 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2,277 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 18,457 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 16,314 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -5.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0578 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Barbados?
- Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Barbados was 1.46 in 2023, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 2.34 in 1991.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0424 in 2015.
- How does Barbados rank for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Barbados ranks 14th out of 34 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3,349.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Barbados data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).