Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP was 3.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Timor-Leste, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Timor-Leste stood at 3.3%.
The figure is up 73.7% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Timor-Leste peaked at 4.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2018.
Timor-Leste ranks 7th of 162 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 4.7% | — |
| 2013 | 3.7% | -21.9% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | +32.9% |
| 2015 | 3.0% | -38.2% |
| 2016 | 3.1% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -89.0% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -46.9% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | +1281.5% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | -16.8% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | +73.7% |
Timor-Leste compared with similar countries
- Timor-Leste's 3.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 2.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Timor-Leste's 3.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.3%, 2.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.8% | 0.2% | 4.9% | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 1.9% | 3.3% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
More education data for Timor-Leste
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,182 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 140 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,267 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,390 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 162,113 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 227,656 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1645 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Timor-Leste?
- Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Timor-Leste was 3.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2014.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2018.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Timor-Leste ranks 7th out of 162 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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