Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 5.4% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
5.4%
Change on year
down 5.8%
World rank
28th
of 185 countries
All-time high
6.4%
in 1976
All-time low
3.8%
in 2000
Years of data
46
1971–2021
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 5.4%.
The figure is down 5.8% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 6.4% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2000.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 28th out of 185 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5.0% | — |
| 1972 | 5.2% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 5.4% | +5.6% |
| 1974 | 5.4% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 6.3% | +16.3% |
| 1976 | 6.4% | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 6.1% | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 5.1% | -16.4% |
| 1981 | 5.3% | +4.3% |
| 1982 | 5.2% | -1.9% |
| 1983 | 5.1% | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 4.6% | -6.2% |
| 1986 | 4.4% | -4.6% |
| 1987 | 4.4% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 4.1% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 4.1% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 4.3% | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 4.9% | +11.9% |
| 1995 | 4.8% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | -9.5% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 4.0% | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +12.7% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 4.7% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 4.7% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | +14.5% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 5.4% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 5.4% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 5.1% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | +13.9% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -5.8% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 5.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 5.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.7% | 5.0% | 6.4% | 7 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.1% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.9% | 8 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 3.8% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.3% | 5.0% | 5.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 5.4% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 6.4% in 1976.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 2000.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 28th out of 185 countries with data for 2021.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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