Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Argentina

Argentina: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP was 1.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.6%
Change on year
up 7.8%
World rank
51st
of 162 countries
All-time high
1.8%
in 2001
All-time low
0.0%
in 1989
Years of data
45
1970–2023

Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Argentina, 1970–2023

00.511.521970199620231970: 0.408 %1972: 0.536 %1973: 0.565 %1974: 0.623 %1975: 0.479 %1976: 0.293 %1977: 0.694 %1978: 0.785 %1979: 0.995 %1980: 1.1 %1982: 0.676 %1983: 0.646 %1984: 1 %1985: 0.07 %1986: 0.064 %1987: 0.061 %1989: 0.031 %1990: 0.035 %1996: 1.4 %1998: 1.4 %1999: 1.6 %2000: 1.6 %2001: 1.8 %2002: 1.4 %2003: 1.3 %2004: 1.3 %2005: 1.3 %2006: 1.4 %2007: 1.6 %2008: 1.7 %2009: 1.8 %2010: 1.7 %2011: 1.7 %2012: 1.7 %2013: 1.6 %2014: 1.6 %2015: 1.7 %2016: 1.7 %2017: 1.6 %2018: 1.4 %2019: 1.4 %2020: 1.6 %2021: 1.4 %2022: 1.5 %2023: 1.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Argentina is 1.6%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 7.8% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Argentina peaked at 1.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1989.

Argentina ranks 51st of 162 countries on this measure, 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 primary education as a percentage of GDP in Argentina, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%) in Argentina, 1970 to 2023.
Year % Change
1970 0.4%
1972 0.5% +31.3%
1973 0.6% +5.3%
1974 0.6% +10.3%
1975 0.5% -23.1%
1976 0.3% -38.9%
1977 0.7% +137.0%
1978 0.8% +13.2%
1979 1.0% +26.8%
1980 1.1% +6.3%
1982 0.7% -36.1%
1983 0.6% -4.3%
1984 1.0% +55.3%
1985 0.1% -93.1%
1986 0.1% -8.4%
1987 0.1% -4.5%
1989 0.0% -48.9%
1990 0.0% +12.2%
1996 1.4% +4049.8%
1998 1.4% -2.0%
1999 1.6% +16.0%
2000 1.6% -0.5%
2001 1.8% +12.1%
2002 1.4% -22.3%
2003 1.3% -5.6%
2004 1.3% -4.8%
2005 1.3% +3.2%
2006 1.4% +9.6%
2007 1.6% +9.4%
2008 1.7% +7.4%
2009 1.8% +6.7%
2010 1.7% -8.5%
2011 1.7% +1.9%
2012 1.7% +0.5%
2013 1.6% -4.0%
2014 1.6% -1.3%
2015 1.7% +7.7%
2016 1.7% -3.9%
2017 1.6% -3.2%
2018 1.4% -11.3%
2019 1.4% -1.8%
2020 1.6% +14.0%
2021 1.4% -13.6%
2022 1.5% +5.0%
2023 1.6% +7.8%

Argentina compared with similar countries

  • Argentina's 1.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.4%, 1.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
  • Argentina's 1.6% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.4%, 1.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Argentina 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.

YearChange FromTo
1996 +4049.8% 0.0% 1.4%
1977 +137.0% 0.3% 0.7%
1985 -93.1% 1.0% 0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.6% 0.3% 1.0% 9
1980s 0.5% 0.0% 1.1% 8
1990s 1.1% 0.0% 1.6% 4
2000s 1.5% 1.3% 1.8% 10
2010s 1.6% 1.4% 1.7% 10
2020s 1.5% 1.4% 1.6% 4

Countries ranked near Argentina

  1. 48 United States of America 1.6% compare
  2. 49 Fiji 1.6% compare
  3. 50 Benin 1.6% compare
  4. 52 Slovenia 1.6% compare
  5. 53 Malaysia 1.6% compare
  6. 54 Cape Verde 1.6% compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More education data for Argentina

All data for Argentina →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Argentina?
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Argentina was 1.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Argentina?
The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 2001.
What is the lowest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Argentina?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1989.
How does Argentina rank for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
Argentina ranks 51st out of 162 countries with data for 2023.
Is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Argentina?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Argentina data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Argentina. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-primary-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/argentina/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
162 places, 3,611 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release