Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in China

China: Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ was 150,308 millions in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
150,308 millions
World rank
2nd
of 164 countries
All-time high
150,308 millions
in 2023
All-time low
192.95 millions
in 1971
Years of data
26
1971–2023

Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in China, 1971–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k1971199720231971: 192.9 millions1972: 260.6 millions1973: 359.9 millions1974: 405.9 millions1975: 446.3 millions1976: 470.3 millions1977: 506.5 millions1978: 608.5 millions1979: 1.0k millions1980: 1.1k millions1981: 1.2k millions1982: 1.3k millions1983: 1.6k millions1984: 1.8k millions1985: 2.1k millions1986: 2.1k millions1987: 1.6k millions1988: 1.6k millions1992: 1.8k millions1993: 1.7k millions1994: 2.4k millions1995: 2.6k millions1996: 3.1k millions1998: 3.0k millions1999: 5.0k millions2023: 150.3k millions

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in China is 150,308 millions, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in China peaked at 150,308 millions in 2023 and was at its lowest, 192.95 millions, in 1971.

China ranks 2nd of 164 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 tertiary education, US$ in China, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions) in China, 1971 to 2023.
Year millions Change
1971 192.95 millions
1972 260.57 millions +35.0%
1973 359.9 millions +38.1%
1974 405.89 millions +12.8%
1975 446.28 millions +9.9%
1976 470.28 millions +5.4%
1977 506.51 millions +7.7%
1978 608.54 millions +20.1%
1979 1,010 millions +66.0%
1980 1,121 millions +10.9%
1981 1,205 millions +7.5%
1982 1,274 millions +5.7%
1983 1,559 millions +22.4%
1984 1,764 millions +13.2%
1985 2,121 millions +20.2%
1986 2,119 millions -0.1%
1987 1,584 millions -25.2%
1988 1,619 millions +2.2%
1992 1,832 millions +13.1%
1993 1,710 millions -6.7%
1994 2,396 millions +40.2%
1995 2,645 millions +10.4%
1996 3,147 millions +19.0%
1998 2,957 millions -6.0%
1999 4,954 millions +67.5%
2023 150,308 millions +2934.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 473.48 millions 192.95 millions 1,010 millions 9
1980s 1,596 millions 1,121 millions 2,121 millions 9
1990s 2,806 millions 1,710 millions 4,954 millions 7
2020s 150,308 millions 150,308 millions 150,308 millions 1

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 United States of America 362,265 millions compare
  2. 3 Germany 54,106 millions compare
  3. 4 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 43,434 millions compare
  4. 5 India 41,927 millions compare

See the full ranking of 164 places →

More education data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in China?
Government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in China was 150,308 millions in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 150,308 millions in 2023.
What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 192.95 millions in 1971.
How does China rank for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$?
China ranks 2nd out of 164 countries with data for 2023.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-us-millions-2/china/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-us-millions-2/china/">Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in China</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions)
Unit
millions
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
164 places, 3,651 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release