Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in India
India: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 3.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in India, 1997–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
India recorded 3.9% for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.4% on the previous year and up 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in India peaked at 4.4% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 2.6%, in 2006.
India ranks 97th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3.4% | — |
| 1998 | 3.6% | +6.3% |
| 1999 | 4.4% | +23.6% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | -9.0% |
| 2003 | 3.2% | -21.1% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -9.4% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -6.7% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | +7.4% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | +17.7% |
| 2012 | 3.4% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +9.2% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | -7.2% |
| 2020 | 4.3% | +18.7% |
| 2021 | 3.9% | -10.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.6% | 4.0% | 6 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 2.8% | 3.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near India
- 94 Seychelles 4.0% compare
- 95 Lithuania 4.0% compare
- 96 China 4.0% compare
- 98 Marshall Islands 3.8% compare
- 99 Hong Kong, China 3.8% compare
- 100 Croatia 3.8% compare
More education data for India
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.31 million (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 3.10 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 19.37 million (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 18.52 million (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 133.16 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 126.12 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -8.85 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0862 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in India?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in India was 3.9% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 1999.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2006.
- How does India rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- India ranks 97th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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