Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita was 24.2% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 24.2%, measured in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and up 22.5% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 25.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 1999.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th of 122 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Share of GDP per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12.5% | — |
| 1999 | 12.3% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 12.7% | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 13.3% | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 14.4% | +8.6% |
| 2003 | 16.3% | +13.1% |
| 2004 | 15.9% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 17.0% | +7.2% |
| 2006 | 19.7% | +16.0% |
| 2007 | 20.9% | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 21.3% | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 24.3% | +9.4% |
| 2011 | 24.7% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 23.1% | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 23.6% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 25.0% | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 24.2% | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.4% | 12.3% | 12.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.4% | 12.7% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.1% | 23.1% | 25.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.49 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 281,128 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate -0.4388 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.16 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 3.24 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.79 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.62 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -0.929 % change on previous year (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 24.2% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 25.0% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 1999.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of gdp per capita spent by the government on each primary school student vs. gdp per capita?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.