Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Singapore
Singapore: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP was 0.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Singapore, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore is 0.5%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 28 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.3% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore peaked at 1.3% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2023.
Singapore ranks 151st of 162 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.3% | — |
| 1972 | 1.2% | -11.5% |
| 1973 | 1.0% | -18.0% |
| 1974 | 0.9% | -6.0% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | +8.7% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | +4.5% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 0.9% | -6.6% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +6.4% |
| 1981 | 0.9% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | +13.0% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | +21.0% |
| 1988 | 1.0% | -22.3% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -38.4% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | +11.4% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | -11.3% |
| 2023 | 0.5% | -12.3% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 0.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.1%, 50% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 0.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.3%, 41% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 5 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 148 Türkiye 0.6% compare
- 149 Azerbaijan 0.6% compare
- 150 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.6% compare
- 152 Monaco 0.5% compare
- 153 Solomon Islands 0.5% compare
- 154 Andorra 0.5% compare
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore?
- Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore was 0.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 1971.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2023.
- How does Singapore rank for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Singapore ranks 151st out of 162 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release