Government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure per student, tertiary was 38.0% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
38.0%
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
37th
of 111 countries
All-time high
41.2%
in 2014
All-time low
18.8%
in 2009
Years of data
18
1998–2016

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2016

0102030401998200720161998: 27.9 % of GDP per capita1999: 22.7 % of GDP per capita2000: 20.7 % of GDP per capita2001: 20.3 % of GDP per capita2002: 25.5 % of GDP per capita2003: 24.8 % of GDP per capita2004: 24.4 % of GDP per capita2005: 29 % of GDP per capita2006: 26.1 % of GDP per capita2007: 22.1 % of GDP per capita2008: 20.3 % of GDP per capita2009: 18.8 % of GDP per capita2010: 23.6 % of GDP per capita2011: 31.4 % of GDP per capita2013: 40.2 % of GDP per capita2014: 41.2 % of GDP per capita2015: 35.4 % of GDP per capita2016: 38 % of GDP per capita

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

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 38.0% for government expenditure per student, tertiary in 2016.

That represents a change of up 7.5% on the previous year and up 45.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 41.2% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 18.8%, in 2009.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 37th out of 111 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure per student, tertiary (% of GDP per capita) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2016.
Year % of GDP per capita Change
1998 27.9%
1999 22.7% -18.6%
2000 20.7% -9.0%
2001 20.3% -1.6%
2002 25.5% +25.3%
2003 24.8% -2.7%
2004 24.4% -1.7%
2005 29.0% +19.1%
2006 26.1% -10.3%
2007 22.1% -15.0%
2008 20.3% -8.1%
2009 18.8% -7.7%
2010 23.6% +25.9%
2011 31.4% +32.9%
2013 40.2% +28.0%
2014 41.2% +2.5%
2015 35.4% -14.2%
2016 38.0% +7.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.3% 22.7% 27.9% 2
2000s 23.2% 18.8% 29.0% 10
2010s 35.0% 23.6% 41.2% 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 34 Norway 39.8% compare
  2. 35 Cuba 38.8% compare
  3. 36 Cape Verde 38.3% compare
  4. 38 Costa Rica 37.5% compare
  5. 39 Switzerland 37.4% compare
  6. 40 Estonia 36.9% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 38.0% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 41.2% in 2014.
What is the lowest government expenditure per student, tertiary recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 18.8% in 2009.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for government expenditure per student, tertiary?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 37th out of 111 countries with data for 2016.
Is government expenditure per student, tertiary rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-tertiary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/united-kingdom/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-per-student-tertiary-percent-of-gdp-per-capita/united-kingdom/">Government expenditure per student, tertiary in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland</a> — Statizoid

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.