Government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand

New Zealand: Government expenditure per student, primary was 20.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
20.3%
Change on year
up 10.8%
World rank
30th
of 122 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 2016
All-time low
17.4%
in 1997
Years of data
5
1997–2016

Government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand, 1997–2016

051015201997200620161997: 17.4 % of GDP per capita2013: 19.4 % of GDP per capita2014: 18.2 % of GDP per capita2015: 18.3 % of GDP per capita2016: 20.3 % of GDP per capita

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of GDP per capita.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand is 20.3%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.8% on the previous year and up 4.7% over five years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand peaked at 20.3% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17.4%, in 1997.

That places New Zealand 30th out of 122 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

Government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita) in New Zealand, 1997 to 2016.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
1997 17.4%
2013 19.4% +11.3%
2014 18.2% -6.4%
2015 18.3% +0.9%
2016 20.3% +10.8%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

  • New Zealand's 20.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 19.5%, 1.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • New Zealand's 20.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 14.1%, 1.4× the median. (13 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.4% 17.4% 17.4% 1
2010s 19.1% 18.2% 20.3% 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 27 Slovakia 20.8% compare
  2. 28 Barbados 20.8% compare
  3. 29 Lesotho 20.7% compare
  4. 31 Estonia 20.3% compare
  5. 32 Brazil 20.1% compare
  6. 33 United States of America 19.9% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More education data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand?
Government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand was 20.3% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure per student, primary recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2016.
What is the lowest government expenditure per student, primary recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 17.4% in 1997.
How does New Zealand rank for government expenditure per student, primary?
New Zealand ranks 30th out of 122 countries with data for 2016.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure per student, primary in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-primary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita)
Unit
% of GDP per capita
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
143 places, 1,741 data points, 1995–2018
Last refreshed

Government expenditure per student is the average general government expenditure (current, capital, and transfers) per student in the given level of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP per capita.