Proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor
East Timor: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 4.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor, 2008–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor stood at 4.3%. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is down 31.0% on the previous year and down 49.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor peaked at 10.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2025.
East Timor ranks 192nd of 196 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 7.1% | — |
| 2009 | 10.6% | +49.3% |
| 2010 | 9.2% | -13.5% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | -16.4% |
| 2012 | 5.5% | -27.6% |
| 2013 | 5.9% | +6.4% |
| 2014 | 6.8% | +14.9% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | +27.5% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | -16.1% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | +13.4% |
| 2018 | 8.0% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | -14.2% |
| 2020 | 7.0% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | +7.4% |
| 2024 | 6.3% | -16.0% |
| 2025 | 4.3% | -31.0% |
East Timor compared with similar countries
- East Timor's 4.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.5%, 30% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- East Timor's 4.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 12.0%, 36% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.1% | 10.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 5.5% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.3% | 4.3% | 7.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near East Timor
- 189 Dominica 5.8% compare
- 190 Montserrat 5.7% compare
- 191 Niue 5.6% compare
- 192 Timor-Leste 4.3% compare
- 194 Papua New Guinea 3.5% compare
- 195 Nigeria 3.0% compare
More education data for East Timor
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,182 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 140 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 13,267 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 13,390 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 162,113 (2020)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 227,656 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1645 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in East Timor was 4.3% 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 East Timor?
- The highest recorded value was 10.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in East Timor?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2025.
- How does East Timor rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- East Timor ranks 192nd out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in East Timor?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Timor 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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