Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Switzerland
Switzerland: Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita was 24.8% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Switzerland, 1998–2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP per capita.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Switzerland is 24.8%, measured in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Switzerland peaked at 27.0% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 18.6%, in 2008.
Switzerland ranks 9th of 122 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 21.6% | — |
| 1999 | 21.0% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 20.0% | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 21.0% | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 22.4% | +6.5% |
| 2003 | 22.7% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 22.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 21.9% | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 21.0% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 20.4% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 18.6% | -8.5% |
| 2009 | 21.8% | +17.1% |
| 2010 | 21.9% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 23.3% | +6.5% |
| 2012 | 27.0% | +15.6% |
| 2013 | 26.9% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 26.4% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 24.6% | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 24.8% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.3% | 21.0% | 21.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.3% | 18.6% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 21.9% | 27.0% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More education data for Switzerland
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 58,349 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Switzerland?
- Share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in Switzerland was 24.8% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 27.0% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.6% in 2008.
- How does Switzerland rank for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita?
- Switzerland ranks 9th out of 122 countries with data for 2016.
- Is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
GDP per capita data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.