Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Thailand
Thailand: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 4.1% in 2013. ▲ Rising
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Thailand, 1971–2013
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2013, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Thailand stood at 4.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.1% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Thailand peaked at 5.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1974.
That places Thailand 88th out of 185 countries with data for 2013, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 3.1% | — |
| 1972 | 3.0% | -1.2% |
| 1973 | 2.6% | -15.7% |
| 1974 | 2.1% | -15.9% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | +10.9% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +26.7% |
| 1977 | 3.2% | +6.6% |
| 1979 | 2.8% | -11.5% |
| 1980 | 2.6% | -9.5% |
| 1981 | 2.9% | +12.0% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | +13.6% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +5.8% |
| 1984 | 3.4% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | -8.6% |
| 1988 | 2.8% | -11.6% |
| 1989 | 2.5% | -9.1% |
| 1991 | 3.1% | +23.4% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | +11.8% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | -7.6% |
| 1996 | 3.5% | +11.3% |
| 1997 | 4.6% | +30.8% |
| 1998 | 4.6% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 5.3% | +8.7% |
| 2001 | 4.8% | -8.6% |
| 2002 | 3.8% | -20.3% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | +8.6% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 4.0% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 3.6% | -11.0% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 3.8% | +10.1% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | -9.2% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | +37.0% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | -9.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.8% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 8 |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 3.8% | 3.0% | 4.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.0% | 3.5% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.2% | 3.5% | 4.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More education data for Thailand
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 243,991 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 13,596 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 758,147 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 716,498 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.26 million (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.45 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0621 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Thailand?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Thailand was 4.1% in 2013, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1974.
- How does Thailand rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Thailand ranks 88th out of 185 countries with data for 2013.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand 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