Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Estonia
Estonia: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 4.9% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Estonia, 1992–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Estonia stood at 4.9%.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Estonia peaked at 6.7% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 3.9%, in 2014.
Estonia ranks 55th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Estonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 5.3% | — |
| 1993 | 5.7% | +7.9% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 5.9% | +7.4% |
| 1996 | 6.1% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 6.3% | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 6.2% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 6.7% | +6.7% |
| 2000 | 5.3% | -19.7% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 4.9% | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 4.4% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 5.3% | +20.7% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 4.9% | -9.5% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 4.7% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | -8.6% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | 4.7% | +20.3% |
| 2016 | 4.9% | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | -6.3% |
| 2018 | 4.6% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 4.9% | +7.0% |
| 2020 | 5.2% | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 4.9% | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 4.9% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.0% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 8 |
| 2000s | 5.1% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 3.9% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
- 52 Chile 4.9% compare
- 53 Sierra Leone 4.9% compare
- 54 United States of America 4.9% compare
- 56 Kazakhstan 4.9% compare
- 57 Switzerland 4.9% compare
- 58 Canada 4.8% compare
More education data for Estonia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 9,391 (2021)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 706 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 27,252 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 25,046 (2012)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 103,245 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 89,246 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.065 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Estonia?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Estonia was 4.9% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 1999.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9% in 2014.
- How does Estonia rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Estonia ranks 55th out of 185 countries with data for 2022.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Estonia 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release