Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Bhutan
Bhutan: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 5.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Bhutan, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Bhutan is 5.8%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 25.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Bhutan peaked at 6.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1972.
That places Bhutan 22nd out of 185 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.9% | — |
| 1972 | 1.7% | -12.0% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +87.4% |
| 1978 | 2.5% | -18.8% |
| 1979 | 3.5% | +38.5% |
| 2000 | 4.8% | +38.2% |
| 2001 | 4.8% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 3.8% | -22.0% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | +25.8% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | -46.2% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +25.4% |
| 2013 | 4.6% | +40.0% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 5.9% | +22.2% |
| 2016 | 5.7% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 6.1% | +7.4% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.5% | 1.7% | 3.5% | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 2.5% | 4.8% | 6 |
| 2010s | 4.9% | 2.6% | 6.1% | 8 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 19 South Africa 6.0% compare
- 20 Tunisia 6.0% compare
- 21 Israel 5.9% compare
- 23 Sao Tome and Principe 5.6% compare
- 24 Brazil 5.6% compare
- 25 Solomon Islands 5.6% compare
More education data for Bhutan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,995 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,961 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,905 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,735 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 67,821 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,759 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1159 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Bhutan?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Bhutan was 5.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 2017.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1972.
- How does Bhutan rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Bhutan ranks 22nd out of 185 countries with data for 2023.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release