Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 13.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
13.8%
Change on year
up 4.7%
Rank
6th
of 20 groups
All-time high
16.2%
in 2000
All-time low
13.2%
in 2023
Years of data
16
2000–2024
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 13.8%.
The figure is up 4.7% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 16.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2023.
Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 6th of 20 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.2% | — |
| 2010 | 15.3% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 14.7% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 14.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 15.4% | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 15.2% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 14.8% | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 14.8% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 14.9% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 14.4% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 14.5% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 14.6% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 13.2% | -9.3% |
| 2024 | 13.8% | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 14.7% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.1% | 13.2% | 14.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America and the Caribbean
- 3 Turkmenistan 27.6% compare
- 4 Solomon Islands 25.2% compare
- 5 Namibia 24.6% compare
- 6 Morocco 23.3% compare
- 7 Bhutan 22.2% compare
- 8 Uzbekistan 22.1% compare
- 9 Kazakhstan 22.0% compare
More education data for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 39 - Projected youth 61.09 Percentage of population aged 15-29 years (2040)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 39 - Projected youth 80.8 Percentage of population aged 15-29 years (2040)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 39 - Projected youth 19.18 Percentage of population aged 15-29 years (2040)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 39 - Projected youth 0.0283 Percentage of population aged 15-29 years (2040)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 38 - Projected education 8.98 Percentage of population aged 15 years or over (2040)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 39 - Projected youth 1.9 Percentage of population aged 15-29 years (2040)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 39 - Projected youth 37.01 Percentage of population aged 15-29 years (2040)
- Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex 19.3% (2025)
- Adjusted gender parity index for participation rate in formal and 1.06 ratio (2024)
- Participation rate in formal and non-formal education and training 50.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Latin America and the Caribbean was 13.8% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 16.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2023.
- How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 6th out of 20 groups with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean 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 [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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