Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Qatar

Qatar: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 3.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
3.2%
Change on year
up 15.3%
World rank
124th
of 185 countries
All-time high
4.3%
in 1999
All-time low
1.7%
in 1976
Years of data
24
1971–2020

Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Qatar, 1971–2020

012341971199520201971: 3 %1972: 2.7 %1973: 2.9 %1976: 1.7 %1977: 2 %1978: 2.8 %1998: 3.6 %1999: 4.3 %2000: 2.6 %2001: 3.2 %2002: 3.5 %2003: 2.8 %2004: 2.6 %2005: 2.8 %2008: 2.9 %2009: 4 %2010: 3.5 %2011: 3 %2012: 3.1 %2013: 3.8 %2014: 3.5 %2017: 3 %2019: 2.8 %2020: 3.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Qatar is 3.2%, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 15.3% on the previous year and down 8.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Qatar peaked at 4.3% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1976.

Qatar ranks 124th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Qatar, year by year

Annual values for Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%) in Qatar, 1971 to 2020.
Year % Change
1971 3.0%
1972 2.7% -10.3%
1973 2.9% +6.6%
1976 1.7% -39.1%
1977 2.0% +12.8%
1978 2.8% +41.0%
1998 3.6% +28.8%
1999 4.3% +21.5%
2000 2.6% -40.2%
2001 3.2% +24.6%
2002 3.5% +7.5%
2003 2.8% -20.3%
2004 2.6% -7.5%
2005 2.8% +10.2%
2008 2.9% +3.3%
2009 4.0% +37.6%
2010 3.5% -11.8%
2011 3.0% -15.7%
2012 3.1% +5.3%
2013 3.8% +21.6%
2014 3.5% -9.3%
2017 3.0% -14.6%
2019 2.8% -5.5%
2020 3.2% +15.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.5% 1.7% 3.0% 6
1990s 4.0% 3.6% 4.3% 2
2000s 3.1% 2.6% 4.0% 8
2010s 3.3% 2.8% 3.8% 7
2020s 3.2% 3.2% 3.2% 1

Countries ranked near Qatar

  1. 121 Nepal 3.3% compare
  2. 122 Romania 3.3% compare
  3. 123 Japan 3.3% compare
  4. 125 Jordan 3.2% compare
  5. 126 Viet Nam 3.2% compare
  6. 127 North Macedonia 3.2% compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More education data for Qatar

All data for Qatar →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Qatar?
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Qatar was 3.2% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Qatar?
The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1999.
What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Qatar?
The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1976.
How does Qatar rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
Qatar ranks 124th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Qatar?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Qatar 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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Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Qatar. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-expenditure-on-education-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/qatar/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
185 places, 4,380 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release