Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Pakistan
Pakistan: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP was 1.1% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Pakistan, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Pakistan is 1.1%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1,029.0% on the previous year and up 48.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Pakistan peaked at 1.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2018.
That places Pakistan 46th out of 173 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.3% | — |
| 1972 | 0.3% | -14.6% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | +28.9% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +37.1% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | -22.5% |
| 1976 | 0.4% | +19.3% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | -6.2% |
| 1978 | 0.4% | -3.3% |
| 1979 | 0.4% | +10.7% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | +5.1% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | -22.1% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +14.5% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | +5.0% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | +10.8% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | +22.9% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | -37.8% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | +11.4% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +9.3% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | -17.2% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | +100.8% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | -31.8% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | +10.5% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +8.9% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -83.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | +25.3% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -8.5% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1% | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | +1029.0% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 1.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.6%, 1.7× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 1.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 1.0%, 1.1× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Pakistan 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +1029.0% | 0.1% | 1.1% |
| 2013 | +100.8% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| 2018 | -83.7% | 0.6% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More education data for Pakistan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.04 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 440,233 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 5.05 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.90 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 19.70 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.38 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.101 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Pakistan?
- Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Pakistan was 1.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2018.
- How does Pakistan rank for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Pakistan ranks 46th out of 173 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on tertiary 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