Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
162
Highest
3,075.7%
Sierra Leone
Lowest
0.1%
Indonesia
Median
1.3%
Years covered
56
1970–2025
Data points
3,611
What the numbers show
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%) is currently reported for 162 countries. The highest value is 3,075.7% in Sierra Leone; the lowest is 0.1% in Indonesia.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.3%, and the mean is 21.4%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 37,593.
Over the past decade 65 countries rose and 84 fell. The largest increase was in Sierra Leone (up 403,261.0%), and the largest decrease in Angola (down 95.3%).
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Leone | 3,075.7% | 2023 | up 403,261.0% | volatile |
| 2 | Chad | 177.0% | 2024 | up 24,756.4% | volatile |
| 3 | Namibia | 4.9% | 2024 | up 692.6% | falling |
| 4 | Lesotho | 4.1% | 2018 | down 8.2% | rising |
| 5 | Cuba | 3.7% | 2010 | up 40.2% | rising |
| 6 | Kiribati | 3.5% | 2023 | down 3.3% | rising |
| 7 | Timor-Leste | 3.3% | 2023 | down 9.4% | volatile |
| 8 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 3.1% | 2024 | up 2.1% | falling |
| 9 | Bhutan | 2.7% | 2023 | up 142.3% | volatile |
| 10 | Burundi | 2.7% | 2013 | up 111.4% | rising |
| 11 | Zambia | 2.5% | 2017 | up 142.2% | falling |
| 12 | Israel | 2.5% | 2022 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 13 | Algeria | 2.4% | 2024 | — | falling |
| 14 | South Africa | 2.4% | 2024 | up 14.0% | rising |
| 15 | North Macedonia | 2.3% | 1996 | — | falling |
| 16 | Vanuatu | 2.2% | 2024 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 17 | Eswatini | 2.2% | 2021 | down 33.3% | rising |
| 18 | Iceland | 2.2% | 2022 | up 2.7% | rising |
| 19 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 2.2% | 2009 | up 87.3% | falling |
| 20 | Burkina Faso | 2.1% | 2015 | down 24.3% | rising |
| 21 | Mali | 2.1% | 2021 | up 75.0% | rising |
| 22 | Morocco | 2.1% | 2013 | up 9.2% | flat |
| 23 | Colombia | 2.0% | 1999 | up 113.9% | rising |
| 24 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 2.0% | 2022 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 25 | Dominican Republic | 2.0% | 2023 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 26 | Honduras | 2.0% | 2024 | down 36.3% | rising |
| 27 | Syrian Arab Republic | 2.0% | 2015 | down 6.1% | flat |
| 28 | Jamaica | 1.9% | 2024 | down 11.1% | rising |
| 29 | Belize | 1.9% | 2023 | down 5.2% | flat |
| 30 | Mauritania | 1.9% | 2024 | up 94.8% | rising |
| 31 | Afghanistan | 1.9% | 2017 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 32 | Senegal | 1.9% | 2022 | down 6.0% | rising |
| 33 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 1.9% | 2021 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 34 | Tonga | 1.9% | 2022 | — | falling |
| 35 | Sweden | 1.8% | 2022 | up 11.0% | falling |
| 36 | Republic of Korea | 1.8% | 2022 | up 34.2% | falling |
| 37 | Congo | 1.8% | 2010 | up 55.4% | falling |
| 38 | Botswana | 1.8% | 2009 | — | flat |
| 39 | Guatemala | 1.7% | 2024 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 40 | Tunisia | 1.7% | 2008 | down 24.6% | flat |
| 41 | Costa Rica | 1.7% | 2023 | down 29.2% | rising |
| 42 | Kenya | 1.7% | 2015 | down 59.2% | falling |
| 43 | Gambia | 1.7% | 2023 | up 82.4% | rising |
| 44 | Cyprus | 1.7% | 2022 | down 17.0% | rising |
| 45 | Djibouti | 1.7% | 2016 | up 15.5% | falling |
| 46 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 1.7% | 2014 | down 24.4% | rising |
| 47 | Nepal | 1.6% | 2023 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 48 | United States of America | 1.6% | 2021 | up 4.4% | flat |
| 49 | Fiji | 1.6% | 2023 | up 5.5% | falling |
| 50 | Benin | 1.6% | 2015 | up 29.4% | rising |
| 51 | Argentina | 1.6% | 2023 | down 4.1% | volatile |
| 52 | Slovenia | 1.6% | 2022 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 53 | Malaysia | 1.6% | 2023 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 54 | Cape Verde | 1.6% | 2023 | down 11.3% | falling |
| 55 | Dominica | 1.6% | 2023 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 56 | Côte d'Ivoire | 1.5% | 2024 | up 19.5% | falling |
| 57 | Estonia | 1.5% | 2022 | up 21.4% | falling |
| 58 | Belgium | 1.5% | 2022 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 59 | Switzerland | 1.5% | 2022 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 60 | Denmark | 1.5% | 2022 | down 31.0% | falling |
| 61 | Samoa | 1.5% | 2016 | down 18.2% | rising |
| 62 | Niger | 1.5% | 2018 | down 22.2% | rising |
| 63 | El Salvador | 1.5% | 2024 | down 10.2% | rising |
| 64 | Jordan | 1.4% | 2024 | down 12.4% | falling |
| 65 | Malawi | 1.4% | 2016 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 66 | Rwanda | 1.4% | 2024 | down 2.3% | falling |
| 67 | Comoros | 1.4% | 2015 | up 36.1% | rising |
| 68 | Peru | 1.4% | 2024 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 69 | Brazil | 1.4% | 2022 | down 17.2% | flat |
| 70 | Nicaragua | 1.4% | 2023 | down 26.6% | rising |
| 71 | Uzbekistan | 1.4% | 2023 | down 47.9% | falling |
| 72 | Philippines | 1.4% | 2025 | up 9.6% | rising |
| 73 | Curaçao | 1.4% | 2024 | down 15.4% | falling |
| 74 | Mexico | 1.4% | 2022 | down 20.0% | rising |
| 75 | Viet Nam | 1.3% | 2013 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 76 | Puerto Rico | 1.3% | 2014 | — | falling |
| 77 | Finland | 1.3% | 2022 | up 1.1% | falling |
| 78 | New Zealand | 1.3% | 2023 | up 5.4% | falling |
| 79 | Paraguay | 1.3% | 2024 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 80 | Mongolia | 1.3% | 2017 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 81 | Portugal | 1.3% | 2022 | down 7.5% | flat |
| 82 | Ethiopia | 1.3% | 2015 | down 13.4% | rising |
| 83 | Norway | 1.3% | 2022 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 84 | Netherlands | 1.2% | 2022 | up 5.3% | falling |
| 85 | Chile | 1.2% | 2022 | down 15.0% | flat |
| 86 | Barbados | 1.2% | 2024 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 87 | Republic of Moldova | 1.2% | 2023 | down 6.6% | falling |
| 88 | Aruba | 1.2% | 2019 | down 21.7% | rising |
| 89 | Uruguay | 1.2% | 2023 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 90 | China | 1.2% | 2023 | — | rising |
| 91 | Oman | 1.2% | 2022 | down 4.5% | volatile |
| 92 | France | 1.2% | 2022 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 93 | Kuwait | 1.2% | 2015 | up 25.7% | volatile |
| 94 | Latvia | 1.2% | 2022 | down 38.7% | rising |
| 95 | Spain | 1.2% | 2022 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 96 | Luxembourg | 1.1% | 2022 | down 13.7% | falling |
| 97 | Uganda | 1.1% | 2014 | down 62.6% | volatile |
| 98 | Japan | 1.1% | 2021 | down 8.0% | falling |
| 99 | Ukraine | 1.1% | 2021 | up 21.5% | falling |
| 100 | India | 1.1% | 2022 | up 5.3% | falling |
| 101 | Montserrat | 1.1% | 2023 | up 22.6% | rising |
| 102 | Togo | 1.1% | 2024 | down 45.4% | rising |
| 103 | Maldives | 1.1% | 2023 | down 26.5% | falling |
| 104 | Italy | 1.1% | 2022 | up 12.0% | flat |
| 105 | Slovakia | 1.1% | 2022 | up 47.4% | falling |
| 106 | Ecuador | 1.0% | 2024 | down 22.0% | falling |
| 107 | Albania | 1.0% | 2023 | down 26.0% | falling |
| 108 | Saint Lucia | 1.0% | 2023 | down 27.8% | falling |
| 109 | Panama | 1.0% | 2023 | up 26.7% | falling |
| 110 | Ireland | 1.0% | 2021 | down 50.9% | falling |
| 111 | Guinea | 1.0% | 2020 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 112 | Liechtenstein | 1.0% | 2011 | up 37.1% | rising |
| 113 | Bangladesh | 1.0% | 2012 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 114 | Poland | 1.0% | 2022 | down 34.4% | falling |
| 115 | Ghana | 1.0% | 2014 | down 68.1% | volatile |
| 116 | Mauritius | 1.0% | 2024 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 117 | Greece | 1.0% | 2022 | down 22.0% | rising |
| 118 | Malta | 0.9% | 2022 | down 34.2% | rising |
| 119 | Bulgaria | 0.9% | 2022 | up 43.3% | rising |
| 120 | San Marino | 0.9% | 2022 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 121 | Austria | 0.9% | 2022 | up 8.4% | falling |
| 122 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 0.9% | 2022 | up 21.8% | falling |
| 123 | Hong Kong, China | 0.9% | 2024 | up 33.9% | falling |
| 124 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.9% | 2023 | down 42.0% | falling |
| 125 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.9% | 2016 | up 64.2% | volatile |
| 126 | Bahrain | 0.8% | 2015 | — | falling |
| 127 | Seychelles | 0.8% | 2023 | down 32.5% | falling |
| 128 | Czechia | 0.8% | 2022 | up 19.3% | flat |
| 129 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.8% | 2023 | up 33.4% | falling |
| 130 | Cameroon | 0.8% | 2023 | down 11.3% | falling |
| 131 | Gabon | 0.8% | 2014 | — | falling |
| 132 | Lithuania | 0.8% | 2022 | up 4.2% | flat |
| 133 | Anguilla | 0.8% | 2022 | down 28.2% | flat |
| 134 | Madagascar | 0.7% | 2013 | down 61.0% | flat |
| 135 | Myanmar | 0.7% | 2019 | up 82.7% | rising |
| 136 | Germany | 0.7% | 2022 | up 13.7% | rising |
| 137 | Cambodia | 0.7% | 2014 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 138 | Liberia | 0.7% | 2021 | up 27.7% | volatile |
| 139 | Guyana | 0.7% | 2012 | down 81.0% | volatile |
| 140 | British Virgin Islands | 0.7% | 2023 | down 20.6% | falling |
| 141 | Cayman Islands | 0.7% | 2023 | up 37.0% | rising |
| 142 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 0.6% | 2023 | down 51.8% | falling |
| 143 | Armenia | 0.6% | 2023 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 144 | Hungary | 0.6% | 2022 | down 14.2% | falling |
| 145 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.6% | 2013 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 146 | Qatar | 0.6% | 2009 | — | falling |
| 147 | Central African Republic | 0.6% | 2010 | — | falling |
| 148 | Türkiye | 0.6% | 2022 | down 38.0% | falling |
| 149 | Azerbaijan | 0.6% | 2023 | — | falling |
| 150 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0.6% | 2024 | down 50.1% | falling |
| 151 | Singapore | 0.5% | 2023 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 152 | Monaco | 0.5% | 2023 | up 205.9% | rising |
| 153 | Solomon Islands | 0.5% | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 154 | Andorra | 0.5% | 2023 | down 42.3% | rising |
| 155 | Romania | 0.4% | 2022 | down 15.2% | falling |
| 156 | Bermuda | 0.4% | 2023 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 157 | Sri Lanka | 0.3% | 2022 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 158 | Pakistan | 0.2% | 2023 | down 68.0% | rising |
| 159 | Haiti | 0.1% | 2021 | — | falling |
| 160 | Angola | 0.1% | 2023 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 161 | Thailand | 0.1% | 2023 | down 94.8% | falling |
| 162 | Indonesia | 0.1% | 2023 | down 94.3% | falling |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release