Government expenditure per student, tertiary in OECD members

OECD members: Government expenditure per student, tertiary was 25.4% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
25.4%
Change on year
down 8.4%
Rank
9th
of 15 groups
All-time high
33.1%
in 1998
All-time low
23.9%
in 2005
Years of data
19
1998–2016

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

01020301998200720161998: 33.1 % of GDP per capita1999: 31.3 % of GDP per capita2000: 28.1 % of GDP per capita2001: 28.5 % of GDP per capita2002: 25.5 % of GDP per capita2003: 25.5 % of GDP per capita2004: 24.1 % of GDP per capita2005: 23.9 % of GDP per capita2006: 25.4 % of GDP per capita2007: 25 % of GDP per capita2008: 25.7 % of GDP per capita2009: 28.1 % of GDP per capita2010: 28 % of GDP per capita2011: 27.7 % of GDP per capita2012: 25.7 % of GDP per capita2013: 28.1 % of GDP per capita2014: 26.9 % of GDP per capita2015: 27.7 % 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

OECD members recorded 25.4% for government expenditure per student, tertiary in 2016.

That represents a change of down 8.4% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure per student, tertiary in OECD members peaked at 33.1% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 23.9%, in 2005.

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

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

Annual values for Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita) in OECD members, 1998 to 2016.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
1998 33.1%
1999 31.3% -5.3%
2000 28.1% -10.2%
2001 28.5% +1.3%
2002 25.5% -10.5%
2003 25.5% +0.2%
2004 24.1% -5.5%
2005 23.9% -0.9%
2006 25.4% +6.2%
2007 25.0% -1.4%
2008 25.7% +2.6%
2009 28.1% +9.4%
2010 28.0% -0.4%
2011 27.7% -1.0%
2012 25.7% -7.1%
2013 28.1% +9.1%
2014 26.9% -4.2%
2015 27.7% +3.2%
2016 25.4% -8.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 32.2% 31.3% 33.1% 2
2000s 26.0% 23.9% 28.5% 10
2010s 27.1% 25.4% 28.1% 7

Countries ranked near OECD members

  1. 6 Chad 186.7% compare
  2. 7 Mali 166.9% compare
  3. 8 Côte d'Ivoire 150.2% compare
  4. 9 Senegal 131.0% compare
  5. 10 Eswatini 128.2% compare
  6. 11 Central African Republic 100.5% compare
  7. 12 Aruba 100.2% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for OECD members

All data for OECD members →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure per student, tertiary in OECD members?
Government expenditure per student, tertiary in OECD members 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 OECD members?
The highest recorded value was 33.1% in 1998.
What is the lowest government expenditure per student, tertiary recorded in OECD members?
The lowest recorded value was 23.9% in 2005.
How does OECD members rank for government expenditure per student, tertiary?
OECD members ranks 9th out of 15 groups with data for 2016.
Is government expenditure per student, tertiary rising or falling in OECD members?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, tertiary (% of GDP per capita). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure per student, tertiary in OECD members. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-tertiary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/oecd-members/

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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.