Government expenditure per student, primary in OECD members

OECD members: Government expenditure per student, primary was 20.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
20.3%
Change on year
up 1.5%
Rank
6th
of 21 groups
All-time high
21.9%
in 2010
All-time low
17.0%
in 1998
Years of data
19
1998–2016

Government expenditure per student, primary in OECD members, 1998–2016

051015201998200720161998: 17 % of GDP per capita1999: 17.6 % of GDP per capita2000: 17.2 % of GDP per capita2001: 18.9 % of GDP per capita2002: 20 % of GDP per capita2003: 19.2 % of GDP per capita2004: 18.6 % of GDP per capita2005: 18.5 % of GDP per capita2006: 18.4 % of GDP per capita2007: 18.4 % of GDP per capita2008: 18.3 % of GDP per capita2009: 21.1 % of GDP per capita2010: 21.9 % of GDP per capita2011: 20.8 % of GDP per capita2012: 20.1 % of GDP per capita2013: 20.8 % of GDP per capita2014: 20.3 % of GDP per capita2015: 20 % 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

OECD members recorded 20.3% for government expenditure per student, primary in 2016.

The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure per student, primary in OECD members peaked at 21.9% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 17.0%, in 1998.

That places OECD members 6th out of 21 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Government expenditure per student, primary in OECD members, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure per student, primary (% of GDP per capita) in OECD members, 1998 to 2016.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
1998 17.0%
1999 17.6% +3.4%
2000 17.2% -1.8%
2001 18.9% +9.6%
2002 20.0% +5.8%
2003 19.2% -4.1%
2004 18.6% -2.8%
2005 18.5% -0.7%
2006 18.4% -0.6%
2007 18.4% +0.3%
2008 18.3% -0.6%
2009 21.1% +14.8%
2010 21.9% +4.0%
2011 20.8% -5.0%
2012 20.1% -3.6%
2013 20.8% +3.7%
2014 20.3% -2.3%
2015 20.0% -1.6%
2016 20.3% +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.3% 17.0% 17.6% 2
2000s 18.9% 17.2% 21.1% 10
2010s 20.6% 20.0% 21.9% 7

Countries ranked near OECD members

  1. 3 Djibouti 37.3% compare
  2. 4 Republic of Moldova 32.5% compare
  3. 5 Cyprus 31.9% compare
  4. 6 Oman 31.8% compare
  5. 7 Ukraine 30.3% compare
  6. 8 Denmark 25.1% compare
  7. 9 Switzerland 24.8% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More education data for OECD members

All data for OECD members →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure per student, primary in OECD members?
Government expenditure per student, primary in OECD members 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 OECD members?
The highest recorded value was 21.9% in 2010.
What is the lowest government expenditure per student, primary recorded in OECD members?
The lowest recorded value was 17.0% in 1998.
How does OECD members rank for government expenditure per student, primary?
OECD members ranks 6th out of 21 groups with data for 2016.
Is government expenditure per student, primary rising or falling in OECD members?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this OECD members 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 OECD members. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-primary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/oecd-members/

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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.