Government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America

North America: Government expenditure per student, tertiary was 25.4% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
25.4%
Change on year
down 13.0%
Rank
8th
of 15 groups
All-time high
42.9%
in 1998
All-time low
21.9%
in 2012
Years of data
11
1998–2016

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America, 1998–2016

0102030401998200720161998: 42.9 % of GDP per capita2007: 40.3 % of GDP per capita2008: 36.4 % of GDP per capita2009: 40.2 % of GDP per capita2010: 32.8 % of GDP per capita2011: 31.6 % of GDP per capita2012: 21.9 % of GDP per capita2013: 25 % of GDP per capita2014: 29.1 % of GDP per capita2015: 29.2 % of GDP per capita2016: 25.4 % of GDP per capita

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

Analysis

In 2016, government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America stood at 25.4%.

That represents a change of down 13.0% on the previous year and down 36.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America peaked at 42.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 21.9%, in 2012.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita) in North America, 1998 to 2016.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
1998 42.9%
2007 40.3% -6.0%
2008 36.4% -9.7%
2009 40.2% +10.6%
2010 32.8% -18.5%
2011 31.6% -3.7%
2012 21.9% -30.6%
2013 25.0% +14.3%
2014 29.1% +16.2%
2015 29.2% +0.5%
2016 25.4% -13.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 42.9% 42.9% 42.9% 1
2000s 38.9% 36.4% 40.3% 3
2010s 27.9% 21.9% 32.8% 7

Countries ranked near North America

  1. 5 Ethiopia 266.2% compare
  2. 6 Chad 186.7% compare
  3. 7 Mali 166.9% compare
  4. 8 Côte d'Ivoire 150.2% compare
  5. 9 Senegal 131.0% compare
  6. 10 Eswatini 128.2% compare
  7. 11 Central African Republic 100.5% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for North America

All data for North America →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America?
Government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America was 25.4% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest government expenditure per student, tertiary recorded in North America?
The highest recorded value was 42.9% in 1998.
What is the lowest government expenditure per student, tertiary recorded in North America?
The lowest recorded value was 21.9% in 2012.
How does North America rank for government expenditure per student, tertiary?
North America ranks 8th out of 15 groups with data for 2016.
Is government expenditure per student, tertiary rising or falling in North America?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this North America 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, tertiary (% of GDP per capita). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure per student, tertiary in North America. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-tertiary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/north-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% 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
126 places, 1,539 data points, 1984–2018
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.