Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Singapore
Singapore: Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS was 12.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Singapore, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of total government spending on essential services in Singapore is 12.0%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 6.7% on the previous year and down 32.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Singapore peaked at 31.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2021.
That places Singapore 111th out of 197 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.3% | — |
| 2001 | 21.6% | +6.2% |
| 2002 | 21.4% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 24.8% | +15.6% |
| 2004 | 22.7% | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 22.5% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 23.2% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 30.1% | +29.6% |
| 2009 | 21.9% | -27.4% |
| 2010 | 18.6% | -15.0% |
| 2011 | 28.9% | +55.4% |
| 2012 | 31.4% | +8.7% |
| 2013 | 28.8% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 20.5% | -29.0% |
| 2015 | 17.7% | -13.6% |
| 2016 | 17.6% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 17.3% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | +20.1% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 19.2% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | -40.2% |
| 2022 | 15.1% | +31.9% |
| 2023 | 14.1% | -7.0% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | -8.6% |
| 2025 | 12.0% | -6.7% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 12.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.4%, 1.0× the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 12.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.0%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 23.1% | 20.3% | 30.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.1% | 17.3% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.1% | 11.5% | 19.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Singapore?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Singapore was 12.0% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 31.4% in 2012.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2021.
- How does Singapore rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Singapore ranks 111th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).