Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia

Australia: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 13.9% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
13.9%
Change on year
up 6.1%
World rank
40th
of 116 countries
All-time high
17.1%
in 2011
All-time low
13.1%
in 2021
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia, 2000–2022

0510152000201120222000: 14.42001: 15.22002: 15.62003: 15.62004: 15.52005: 15.82006: 15.62007: 15.12008: 15.12009: 14.82010: 17.12011: 17.12012: 15.42013: 15.62014: 152015: 14.92016: 14.92017: 14.82018: 15.12019: 15.32020: 14.52021: 13.12022: 13.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2022, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia stood at 13.9%.

The figure is up 6.1% on the previous year and down 9.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia peaked at 17.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 13.1%, in 2021.

That places Australia 40th out of 116 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education (%) in Australia, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 14.4%
2001 15.2% +5.1%
2002 15.6% +2.5%
2003 15.6% +0.4%
2004 15.5% -0.7%
2005 15.8% +2.0%
2006 15.6% -1.3%
2007 15.1% -3.4%
2008 15.1% -0.1%
2009 14.8% -1.9%
2010 17.1% +15.7%
2011 17.1% +0.1%
2012 15.4% -10.1%
2013 15.6% +1.1%
2014 15.0% -3.4%
2015 14.9% -1.0%
2016 14.9% +0.1%
2017 14.8% -0.3%
2018 15.1% +1.7%
2019 15.3% +1.2%
2020 14.5% -5.5%
2021 13.1% -9.1%
2022 13.9% +6.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.3% 14.4% 15.8% 10
2010s 15.5% 14.8% 17.1% 10
2020s 13.8% 13.1% 14.5% 3

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 37 Uruguay 14.3% compare
  2. 38 Maldives 14.2% compare
  3. 39 Latvia 14.0% compare
  4. 41 Mongolia 13.8% compare
  5. 42 Lithuania 13.8% compare
  6. 43 Kuwait 13.8% compare

See the full ranking of 127 places →

More education data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia?
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia was 13.9% in 2022, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 2011.
What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 13.1% in 2021.
How does Australia rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
Australia ranks 40th out of 116 countries with data for 2022.
Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-total-government-spending-on-essential-services-education-percent/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
127 places, 2,344 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed