Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Panama
Panama: Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP was 0.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Panama, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Panama is 0.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.0% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Panama peaked at 1.2% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1971.
That places Panama 114th out of 173 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of GDP in Panama, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.4% | — |
| 1971 | 0.4% | -6.9% |
| 1972 | 0.5% | +17.5% |
| 1973 | 0.5% | +11.2% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | +14.8% |
| 1975 | 0.6% | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 0.6% | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | -10.8% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 0.6% | +18.5% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | +15.9% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 0.7% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 1.0% | +30.5% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -7.0% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +17.7% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | +13.5% |
| 2000 | 1.2% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | +8.0% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | -15.7% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | -32.3% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -14.8% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | +8.2% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | +31.0% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | -15.0% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | -7.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 8 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More education data for Panama
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 23,777 (2017)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 10,042 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 47,857 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 46,052 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 311,983 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 451,308 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0999 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Panama?
- Government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp in Panama was 0.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 1.2% in 1999.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1971.
- How does Panama rank for government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Panama ranks 114th out of 173 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government expenditure on tertiary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Panama 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