Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Denmark
Denmark: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP was 1.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Denmark, 1977–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Denmark stood at 1.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.3% on the previous year and down 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Denmark peaked at 3.3% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1991.
That places Denmark 60th out of 162 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 3.3% | — |
| 1978 | 3.3% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 2.9% | -13.2% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | +5.7% |
| 1988 | 3.1% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 1.4% | -54.9% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | +7.2% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -4.6% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | +11.0% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | +8.2% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.9% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.8% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 2.0% | +14.3% |
| 2010 | 2.0% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -9.6% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | +17.6% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -12.3% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | -8.2% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | -6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 4 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 7 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More education data for Denmark
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 50,935 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2,888 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,481 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 88,072 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 522,143 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 432,238 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.8558 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0723 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Denmark?
- Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Denmark was 1.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 1980.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1991.
- How does Denmark rank for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Denmark ranks 60th out of 162 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release