Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America

United States of America: Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage was 1.2% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
1.2%
Change on year
down 19.8%
World rank
29th
of 87 countries
All-time high
1.6%
in 2015
All-time low
1.2%
in 2021
Years of data
7
2015–2021

Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America, 2015–2021

00.511.52015201820212015: 1.6 %2016: 1.5 %2017: 1.5 %2018: 1.5 %2019: 1.5 %2020: 1.5 %2021: 1.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America is 1.2%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 19.8% on the previous year and down 25.5% over ten years.

United States of America ranks 29th of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage of GDP (%) in United States of America, 2015 to 2021.
Year % Change
2015 1.6%
2016 1.5% -2.2%
2017 1.5% +0.9%
2018 1.5% -4.6%
2019 1.5% -1.2%
2020 1.5% -0.1%
2021 1.2% -19.8%

United States of America compared with similar countries

  • United States of America's 1.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 2.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1.5% 1.5% 1.6% 5
2020s 1.3% 1.2% 1.5% 2

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 26 Israel 1.3% compare
  2. 27 Malaysia 1.2% compare
  3. 28 Paraguay 1.2%
  4. 30 Mexico 1.1% compare
  5. 31 Morocco 1.1%
  6. 32 Japan 1.0% compare

See the full ranking of 87 places →

More education data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America?
Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America was 1.2% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2015.
What is the lowest initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2021.
How does United States of America rank for initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage?
United States of America ranks 29th out of 87 countries with data for 2021.
Is initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/initial-private-expenditure-on-education-household-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-percent/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial private expenditure on education (household) as a percentage of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
87 places, 1,097 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release