Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Singapore
Singapore: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 2.1% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Singapore, 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 Singapore is 2.1%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore peaked at 3.9% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2023.
Singapore ranks 161st of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.1% | — |
| 1972 | 2.9% | -7.8% |
| 1973 | 2.5% | -13.2% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 2.7% | +10.4% |
| 1977 | 2.5% | -9.0% |
| 1978 | 2.3% | -6.5% |
| 1979 | 2.2% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 2.6% | +13.8% |
| 1981 | 2.6% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | +26.5% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | +20.8% |
| 1988 | 3.7% | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 2.9% | -19.7% |
| 2001 | 3.6% | +24.4% |
| 2002 | 3.8% | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | -17.6% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | -8.6% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -11.8% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | +7.8% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +6.1% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -8.9% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +6.0% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 2.7% | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | -18.5% |
| 2022 | 2.1% | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 9 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Singapore was 2.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 1983.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2023.
- How does Singapore rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Singapore ranks 161st out of 185 countries with data for 2023.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Singapore 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release