Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
120
Highest
800.5%
Malawi
Lowest
1.9%
Monaco
Median
25.6%
Years covered
55
1970–2024
Data points
1,713
What the numbers show
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita is currently reported for 120 countries. The highest value is 800.5% in Malawi; the lowest is 1.9% in Monaco.
The median across all reporting countries is 25.6%, and the mean is 48.9%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 423.
Over the past decade 34 countries rose and 84 fell. The largest increase was in Aruba (up 266.4%), and the largest decrease in Lesotho (down 95.0%).
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi | 800.5% | 2011 | down 38.2% | falling |
| 2 | Burundi | 412.5% | 2013 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 3 | Burkina Faso | 309.2% | 2016 | up 48.0% | volatile |
| 4 | Ethiopia | 274.7% | 2014 | down 23.7% | falling |
| 5 | Niger | 182.5% | 2018 | down 40.6% | volatile |
| 6 | Mali | 147.7% | 2015 | up 52.9% | falling |
| 7 | Eswatini | 136.1% | 2014 | down 55.0% | falling |
| 8 | Senegal | 106.9% | 2022 | down 21.0% | falling |
| 9 | Central African Republic | 103.9% | 2011 | down 67.2% | volatile |
| 10 | Pakistan | 95.1% | 2023 | up 21.7% | rising |
| 11 | Madagascar | 92.5% | 2012 | down 35.0% | falling |
| 12 | Guinea | 92.3% | 2014 | down 55.1% | falling |
| 13 | Aruba | 90.2% | 2016 | up 266.4% | volatile |
| 14 | Rwanda | 85.7% | 2024 | down 8.2% | volatile |
| 15 | Chad | 85.4% | 2020 | down 48.3% | volatile |
| 16 | Oman | 79.7% | 2020 | up 128.8% | volatile |
| 17 | Gambia | 67.2% | 2012 | down 34.1% | volatile |
| 18 | Uganda | 66.0% | 2012 | down 62.4% | volatile |
| 19 | Seychelles | 64.4% | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 20 | Mauritania | 62.9% | 2020 | down 3.0% | rising |
| 21 | Côte d'Ivoire | 62.4% | 2024 | down 35.6% | falling |
| 22 | South Africa | 62.3% | 2024 | up 74.9% | rising |
| 23 | Togo | 60.7% | 2017 | down 40.1% | volatile |
| 24 | Benin | 57.1% | 2015 | down 49.2% | falling |
| 25 | India | 56.7% | 2021 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 26 | Ghana | 55.6% | 2014 | down 78.3% | falling |
| 27 | Tunisia | 52.6% | 2015 | up 7.8% | falling |
| 28 | Lesotho | 51.6% | 2018 | down 95.0% | falling |
| 29 | Syrian Arab Republic | 51.2% | 2009 | down 39.5% | falling |
| 30 | Costa Rica | 50.8% | 2023 | up 61.3% | rising |
| 31 | Denmark | 41.8% | 2022 | down 0.3% | falling |
| 32 | Honduras | 41.5% | 2015 | down 5.3% | flat |
| 33 | Barbados | 40.8% | 2010 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 34 | Cuba | 38.9% | 2007 | down 63.9% | falling |
| 35 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 38.7% | 2021 | up 24.8% | rising |
| 36 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 37.4% | 2022 | down 55.9% | volatile |
| 37 | Austria | 36.7% | 2022 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 38 | Luxembourg | 36.6% | 2022 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 39 | Ukraine | 36.6% | 2021 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 40 | Slovakia | 36.4% | 2022 | up 65.5% | flat |
| 41 | Jamaica | 35.0% | 2015 | down 38.9% | falling |
| 42 | Sweden | 33.3% | 2022 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 43 | Malta | 32.8% | 2022 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 44 | Belgium | 32.7% | 2022 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 45 | Cape Verde | 32.5% | 2017 | down 58.5% | volatile |
| 46 | Azerbaijan | 32.3% | 2023 | up 78.8% | rising |
| 47 | Switzerland | 32.1% | 2022 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 48 | Belarus | 30.6% | 2024 | up 106.0% | rising |
| 49 | Estonia | 29.4% | 2022 | up 70.7% | rising |
| 50 | Netherlands | 28.8% | 2022 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 51 | Slovenia | 28.0% | 2022 | up 23.2% | rising |
| 52 | Republic of Moldova | 27.9% | 2023 | up 4.0% | falling |
| 53 | Hungary | 27.6% | 2022 | up 31.3% | falling |
| 54 | Viet Nam | 27.4% | 2013 | down 50.9% | falling |
| 55 | Hong Kong, China | 27.4% | 2024 | up 10.6% | falling |
| 56 | Sri Lanka | 26.5% | 2018 | up 42.4% | rising |
| 57 | Norway | 26.4% | 2022 | down 36.0% | falling |
| 58 | Bhutan | 26.3% | 2023 | down 45.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Poland | 25.9% | 2022 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 60 | Finland | 25.8% | 2022 | down 28.2% | falling |
| 61 | France | 25.4% | 2022 | down 18.1% | falling |
| 62 | Saint Lucia | 24.9% | 2023 | up 111.5% | volatile |
| 63 | Czechia | 24.8% | 2022 | up 3.8% | falling |
| 64 | New Zealand | 24.4% | 2023 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 65 | Turkmenistan | 24.4% | 2024 | down 34.7% | falling |
| 66 | Romania | 24.2% | 2022 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 67 | Italy | 23.6% | 2022 | down 3.7% | flat |
| 68 | Iceland | 23.5% | 2022 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 69 | Canada | 23.1% | 2022 | down 46.2% | falling |
| 70 | Türkiye | 22.4% | 2022 | down 51.4% | falling |
| 71 | Spain | 22.3% | 2022 | down 8.8% | rising |
| 72 | Nepal | 21.9% | 2015 | down 66.3% | volatile |
| 73 | Brazil | 21.1% | 2022 | down 23.4% | falling |
| 74 | Indonesia | 21.0% | 2015 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 75 | Uruguay | 20.7% | 2023 | down 13.0% | rising |
| 76 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 20.5% | 2014 | down 76.4% | volatile |
| 77 | Serbia | 20.5% | 2023 | down 45.5% | falling |
| 78 | Bulgaria | 20.5% | 2022 | up 33.6% | rising |
| 79 | Mexico | 20.4% | 2022 | down 40.9% | falling |
| 80 | Portugal | 19.8% | 2022 | down 19.7% | falling |
| 81 | Chile | 19.5% | 2022 | up 27.6% | rising |
| 82 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 19.3% | 2022 | up 33.3% | falling |
| 83 | Lithuania | 19.2% | 2022 | up 2.9% | falling |
| 84 | Tajikistan | 19.0% | 2015 | up 57.5% | rising |
| 85 | Ecuador | 19.0% | 2022 | down 56.5% | falling |
| 86 | Lebanon | 18.9% | 2013 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 87 | Thailand | 18.6% | 2013 | down 22.9% | falling |
| 88 | Russian Federation | 18.6% | 2018 | up 30.0% | rising |
| 89 | Albania | 18.6% | 2023 | up 44.8% | rising |
| 90 | Cameroon | 18.0% | 2013 | down 68.6% | falling |
| 91 | Malaysia | 17.5% | 2023 | down 61.2% | volatile |
| 92 | Belize | 17.5% | 2023 | down 36.2% | falling |
| 93 | Croatia | 17.2% | 2021 | down 32.2% | falling |
| 94 | Macau, China | 16.7% | 2023 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 95 | Bangladesh | 16.6% | 2020 | down 32.8% | falling |
| 96 | Republic of Korea | 16.0% | 2022 | up 19.4% | rising |
| 97 | Ireland | 15.4% | 2021 | down 47.3% | falling |
| 98 | Israel | 14.9% | 2022 | down 27.8% | falling |
| 99 | Singapore | 14.1% | 2023 | down 32.5% | falling |
| 100 | Panama | 13.8% | 2022 | down 23.9% | falling |
| 101 | Cyprus | 13.6% | 2022 | down 61.6% | falling |
| 102 | Latvia | 13.2% | 2022 | down 44.0% | falling |
| 103 | Paraguay | 13.1% | 2010 | down 70.8% | falling |
| 104 | Guatemala | 13.0% | 2023 | down 25.6% | falling |
| 105 | Argentina | 12.0% | 2023 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 106 | Greece | 11.4% | 2022 | up 22.8% | falling |
| 107 | Peru | 10.7% | 2017 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 108 | El Salvador | 10.7% | 2024 | down 0.4% | falling |
| 109 | Philippines | 10.3% | 2009 | down 27.9% | falling |
| 110 | Mauritius | 9.8% | 2024 | down 7.8% | volatile |
| 111 | Guyana | 9.6% | 2012 | down 74.6% | volatile |
| 112 | Kyrgyzstan | 9.3% | 2024 | up 64.4% | falling |
| 113 | Kazakhstan | 8.7% | 2019 | up 10.5% | flat |
| 114 | Jordan | 8.4% | 2024 | down 39.5% | volatile |
| 115 | San Marino | 7.9% | 2022 | down 22.9% | falling |
| 116 | Armenia | 7.0% | 2023 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 117 | Georgia | 6.1% | 2021 | down 36.1% | falling |
| 118 | Andorra | 3.6% | 2023 | down 77.7% | falling |
| 119 | Mongolia | 3.1% | 2024 | down 72.6% | volatile |
| 120 | Monaco | 1.9% | 2023 | — | volatile |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release