Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita) by country
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.
Countries reporting
111
Highest
1,317.6%
Malawi
Lowest
0.0%
Madagascar
Median
27.6%
Years covered
35
1984–2018
Data points
1,539
What the numbers show
Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita) is currently reported for 111 countries. The highest value is 1,317.6% in Malawi; the lowest is 0.0% in Madagascar.
The median across all reporting countries is 27.6%, and the mean is 59.5%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 34,592.
Over the past decade 41 countries rose and 66 fell. The largest increase was in Aruba (up 292.5%), and the largest decrease in Madagascar (down 100.0%).
Government expenditure per student, tertiary: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi | 1,317.6% | 2011 | down 29.0% | falling |
| 2 | Burkina Faso | 351.5% | 2016 | up 55.5% | falling |
| 3 | Burundi | 308.8% | 2013 | down 35.2% | falling |
| 4 | Niger | 275.2% | 2017 | down 51.6% | falling |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 266.2% | 2014 | down 25.4% | falling |
| 6 | Chad | 186.7% | 2011 | down 57.8% | falling |
| 7 | Mali | 166.9% | 2017 | up 46.1% | falling |
| 8 | Côte d'Ivoire | 150.2% | 2017 | up 20.6% | rising |
| 9 | Senegal | 131.0% | 2018 | up 1.9% | falling |
| 10 | Eswatini | 128.2% | 2014 | down 56.0% | falling |
| 11 | Central African Republic | 100.5% | 2011 | down 66.3% | volatile |
| 12 | Aruba | 100.2% | 2016 | up 292.5% | volatile |
| 13 | Rwanda | 97.7% | 2018 | down 51.1% | volatile |
| 14 | Mauritania | 95.8% | 2016 | down 41.3% | rising |
| 15 | Uganda | 91.4% | 2012 | down 47.1% | falling |
| 16 | Guinea | 89.7% | 2014 | down 69.6% | volatile |
| 17 | Benin | 77.7% | 2015 | down 46.6% | falling |
| 18 | Togo | 77.2% | 2017 | down 43.7% | volatile |
| 19 | Namibia | 76.0% | 2014 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 20 | Seychelles | 70.7% | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 21 | Pakistan | 67.2% | 2017 | — | flat |
| 22 | Ghana | 55.5% | 2014 | down 81.4% | falling |
| 23 | Tunisia | 54.7% | 2015 | up 13.7% | falling |
| 24 | Syria | 49.4% | 2009 | down 37.7% | falling |
| 25 | India | 49.3% | 2013 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 26 | South Africa | 48.0% | 2018 | up 22.4% | rising |
| 27 | Lesotho | 44.7% | 2018 | down 95.7% | falling |
| 28 | Malta | 44.4% | 2015 | up 77.1% | rising |
| 29 | Oman | 43.6% | 2016 | up 213.0% | falling |
| 30 | Sweden | 43.2% | 2016 | up 17.3% | falling |
| 31 | Denmark | 43.1% | 2014 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 32 | Barbados | 41.7% | 2010 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 33 | Honduras | 40.9% | 2015 | down 6.0% | flat |
| 34 | Norway | 39.8% | 2016 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 35 | Cuba | 38.8% | 2007 | down 64.0% | falling |
| 36 | Cape Verde | 38.3% | 2017 | down 48.8% | volatile |
| 37 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 38.0% | 2016 | up 45.8% | rising |
| 38 | Costa Rica | 37.5% | 2018 | up 24.5% | rising |
| 39 | Switzerland | 37.4% | 2016 | down 22.3% | falling |
| 40 | Estonia | 36.9% | 2016 | up 101.2% | flat |
| 41 | Jamaica | 36.6% | 2015 | down 37.3% | falling |
| 42 | Austria | 36.2% | 2016 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 43 | Türkiye | 35.3% | 2016 | up 37.0% | rising |
| 44 | Ukraine | 34.5% | 2017 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 45 | Viet Nam | 34.2% | 2013 | down 39.4% | falling |
| 46 | Finland | 33.9% | 2016 | up 5.9% | flat |
| 47 | Germany | 33.6% | 2016 | — | falling |
| 48 | Brazil | 33.0% | 2015 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 49 | Belgium | 32.2% | 2016 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 50 | France | 31.6% | 2016 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 51 | Sri Lanka | 31.6% | 2018 | up 44.4% | rising |
| 52 | Canada | 31.4% | 2016 | down 22.0% | falling |
| 53 | Bangladesh | 29.9% | 2016 | down 17.8% | falling |
| 54 | Serbia | 29.8% | 2017 | down 11.5% | falling |
| 55 | Mexico | 29.7% | 2016 | down 16.5% | flat |
| 56 | Slovakia | 27.6% | 2016 | up 15.6% | falling |
| 57 | Belize | 27.3% | 2017 | up 0.9% | falling |
| 58 | Iceland | 27.3% | 2016 | up 7.7% | falling |
| 59 | Portugal | 26.9% | 2015 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 60 | Republic of Moldova | 26.6% | 2018 | down 30.2% | falling |
| 61 | Cyprus | 26.5% | 2016 | down 51.2% | falling |
| 62 | Romania | 26.1% | 2016 | up 14.0% | falling |
| 63 | Croatia | 25.7% | 2013 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 64 | Poland | 25.4% | 2016 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 65 | Hungary | 25.4% | 2016 | up 8.9% | falling |
| 66 | Uruguay | 25.4% | 2017 | up 36.6% | rising |
| 67 | Italy | 24.3% | 2016 | up 10.1% | rising |
| 68 | Slovenia | 24.3% | 2016 | up 14.6% | flat |
| 69 | Hong Kong, China | 24.2% | 2018 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 70 | Nepal | 24.2% | 2015 | down 61.9% | volatile |
| 71 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 24.2% | 2017 | up 3.4% | falling |
| 72 | Malaysia | 23.8% | 2018 | down 50.4% | falling |
| 73 | Singapore | 23.5% | 2017 | up 4.6% | flat |
| 74 | Andorra | 22.3% | 2018 | down 24.0% | rising |
| 75 | Spain | 21.8% | 2016 | down 5.2% | rising |
| 76 | Colombia | 21.6% | 2018 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 77 | Indonesia | 20.8% | 2015 | down 12.4% | falling |
| 78 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 20.3% | 2014 | down 76.1% | volatile |
| 79 | Czechia | 20.3% | 2016 | down 40.4% | falling |
| 80 | Chile | 20.3% | 2017 | up 87.7% | flat |
| 81 | Russian Federation | 19.8% | 2016 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 82 | Tajikistan | 19.6% | 2015 | up 65.4% | rising |
| 83 | Lebanon | 19.5% | 2013 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 84 | United States of America | 19.4% | 2016 | down 6.8% | flat |
| 85 | Azerbaijan | 19.4% | 2017 | up 102.9% | rising |
| 86 | Cameroon | 19.4% | 2013 | down 69.9% | falling |
| 87 | Macau, China | 19.1% | 2017 | up 19.0% | falling |
| 88 | Panama | 18.7% | 2012 | down 40.7% | falling |
| 89 | Israel | 18.2% | 2016 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 90 | Thailand | 18.2% | 2013 | down 24.2% | falling |
| 91 | Guatemala | 18.1% | 2015 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 92 | Lithuania | 18.0% | 2016 | up 10.3% | falling |
| 93 | Belarus | 17.9% | 2017 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 94 | Australia | 17.8% | 2016 | — | falling |
| 95 | Latvia | 17.7% | 2016 | up 24.1% | falling |
| 96 | Argentina | 16.9% | 2017 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 97 | Bulgaria | 16.6% | 2013 | down 38.0% | flat |
| 98 | Ireland | 15.5% | 2016 | down 37.8% | falling |
| 99 | Paraguay | 14.3% | 2010 | down 69.5% | falling |
| 100 | Guyana | 13.7% | 2012 | down 62.6% | falling |
| 101 | Greece | 11.2% | 2015 | down 53.9% | falling |
| 102 | El Salvador | 11.1% | 2018 | down 32.2% | falling |
| 103 | Peru | 10.9% | 2017 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 104 | Philippines | 10.6% | 2009 | down 27.0% | falling |
| 105 | Georgia | 10.0% | 2017 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 106 | Armenia | 9.9% | 2017 | up 34.1% | rising |
| 107 | Mauritius | 9.6% | 2017 | down 54.6% | volatile |
| 108 | Kazakhstan | 7.5% | 2018 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 109 | Mongolia | 5.2% | 2017 | down 71.7% | volatile |
| 110 | Kyrgyzstan | 4.9% | 2017 | down 78.4% | falling |
| 111 | Madagascar | 0.0% | 2016 | down 100.0% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Small states 32.2%
- Euro area 27.6%
- South Asia 30.2%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 30.2%
- European Union 26.3%
- Other small states 26.5%
- Europe & Central Asia 25.8%
- North America 25.4%
- OECD members 25.4%
- High income 25.4%
- Central Europe and the Baltics 25.4%
- Post-demographic dividend 25.3%
- Late-demographic dividend 23.3%
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 23.3%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 21.6%
About this data
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.