UIS · Government Spending on Education
Government spending on education by country
What share of its economy does a government spend on education?
Kiribati placed first of the 123 countries compared in 2023, at 16.3905%, and Somalia last, at 0.0000%. In the middle country the figure was 3.7092%.
Share
Government spending on education · 2023
Key statistic · Education & Knowledge
Highest of 123Kiribati
16.3905%012023 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 123 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Photo taken by Government of Kiribati employee in the course of their work · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: mrlins derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
3Photo: Nash Belarus · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
02Every measured country
Government spending on education on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 0.0000–2.4723%
- 2.5127–3.3401%
- 3.3937–4.1847%
- 4.2314–5.2405%
- 5.3007–16.3905%
- No reading in 2023 (83 measured in an earlier edition)
- Oceania
5.7772%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 21 members
Kiribati16.3905%
Papua New Guinea0.7821%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Americas
3.7680%
the middle country, of 34 measured · 48 members
Bolivia7.8938%
Haiti0.9646%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
3.6783%
the middle country, of 38 measured · 55 members
Lesotho7.2901%
Somalia0.0000%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Asia
3.5693%
the middle country, of 32 measured · 52 members
Kyrgyzstan6.8269%
Laos1.2338%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Europe
3.3247%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 49 members
Moldova6.5571%
Monaco1.7322%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Every region
21 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Central Asia
5.4368%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kyrgyzstan6.8269%
Turkmenistan2.7129%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- South America
4.2454%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 12 members
Bolivia7.8938%
Suriname2.8662%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Caribbean
3.7606%
the middle country, of 19 measured · 24 members
Montserrat7.1902%Haiti0.9646%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Western Africa
3.7342%
the middle country, of 14 measured · 16 members
Senegal6.1628%
Nigeria0.3191%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Western Asia
3.5876%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 19 members
Kuwait5.0263%
Lebanon1.5042%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Eastern Africa
3.2585%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 19 members
Rwanda4.9200%Somalia0.0000%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Central America
3.1873%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica5.3121%
Panama2.4723%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Middle Africa
2.8391%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
São Tomé and Príncipe5.0289%
Central African Republic1.8300%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Southern Asia
2.8244%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Bhutan5.8452%
Sri Lanka1.8277%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- South-eastern Asia
2.3511%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 11 members
Timor-Leste5.2405%Laos1.2338%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Australia and New Zealand
1 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: New Zealand.
New Zealand5.2133%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Eastern Asia
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia.
China3.8971%
Macau3.5018%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Eastern Europe
3 of 10 measured — too few for a middle: Belarus, Moldova, Russia.
Moldova6.5571%
Russia4.1645%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Melanesia
4 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands8.2935%Papua New Guinea0.7821%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Nauru, Palau.
Kiribati16.3905%
Palau3.4373%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia.
Tunisia6.7340%
Algeria5.6102%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Northern America
1 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda.
Bermuda1.8651%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Polynesia
3 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Cook Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu.
Tuvalu12.8457%
Cook Islands4.4174%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Southern Africa
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa.
Lesotho7.2901%
Eswatini5.0043%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Southern Europe
4 of 17 measured — too few for a middle: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia.
Serbia3.4038%
Andorra1.8987%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Europe
1 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: Monaco.
Monaco1.7322%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
03The whole field at once
The spread
123 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 3.7092%; a quarter are above 5.0038%, and a quarter below 2.7420%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
Log scale: each gridline is ten times the one before, so countries of very different sizes can be seen on one line.
04All 206 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. A high share is the conventional better result, but it can also reflect a small or shrinking economy. The per-student figure is the view that sets spending against the number of children.
Showing 25 of 206 countries
Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051971–2023 · 51 editions
Over time
Each point is one year of UNESCO Institute for Statistics data. Coverage varies from year to year, and a change in GDP moves the share as much as a change in spending does.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 123 | 3.7092% | 2.7420% – 5.0038% |
| 2022 | 166 | 4.0570% | 2.8931% – 5.2679% |
| 2021 | 171 | 4.2611% | 3.1144% – 5.4046% |
| 2020 | 173 | 4.4056% | 3.3063% – 5.4638% |
| 2019 | 170 | 4.1407% | 3.1281% – 5.1635% |
| 2018 | 168 | 4.2159% | 3.0810% – 5.1934% |
| 2017 | 174 | 4.1401% | 3.1198% – 5.2716% |
| 2016 | 166 | 4.2342% | 3.1417% – 5.3874% |
| 2015 | 167 | 4.2386% | 3.1849% – 5.3560% |
| 2014 | 164 | 4.2005% | 3.0867% – 5.4050% |
| 2013 | 156 | 4.3493% | 3.1480% – 5.4711% |
| 2012 | 151 | 4.0348% | 2.8984% – 5.5552% |
| 2011 | 144 | 3.9987% | 2.9549% – 5.4193% |
| 2010 | 138 | 4.1396% | 2.8482% – 5.4435% |
| 2009 | 115 | 4.6638% | 3.1589% – 5.5951% |
| 2008 | 117 | 4.4226% | 3.0985% – 5.2688% |
| 2007 | 106 | 4.1717% | 3.0168% – 5.1371% |
| 2006 | 105 | 4.0593% | 2.9588% – 5.2797% |
| 2005 | 108 | 4.0557% | 2.9078% – 5.2952% |
| 2004 | 119 | 3.9745% | 2.8908% – 5.2311% |
| 2003 | 107 | 4.1595% | 3.0748% – 5.3883% |
| 2002 | 121 | 4.0173% | 3.0025% – 5.5626% |
| 2001 | 111 | 4.1002% | 3.0694% – 5.3677% |
| 2000 | 119 | 3.8861% | 2.8216% – 5.2965% |
| 1999 | 115 | 4.2121% | 3.1147% – 5.3519% |
| 1998 | 89 | 3.8345% | 2.5671% – 4.9196% |
| 1996 | 77 | 3.8907% | 2.7958% – 4.9382% |
| 1995 | 77 | 4.0818% | 2.7547% – 4.8716% |
| 1994 | 69 | 4.6173% | 3.4470% – 5.5882% |
| 1993 | 59 | 4.6546% | 3.2897% – 5.5103% |
| 1992 | 58 | 4.1193% | 2.8112% – 5.2647% |
| 1991 | 54 | 3.9059% | 2.9588% – 5.1675% |
| 1990 | 51 | 3.6362% | 2.4564% – 4.7384% |
| 1989 | 55 | 4.0778% | 2.8919% – 4.9345% |
| 1988 | 53 | 4.0475% | 3.3307% – 5.0162% |
| 1987 | 54 | 3.8938% | 2.9873% – 5.1362% |
| 1986 | 60 | 3.9738% | 3.0894% – 5.3261% |
| 1985 | 55 | 4.0902% | 2.5715% – 5.2520% |
| 1984 | 57 | 4.0637% | 2.5697% – 5.3153% |
| 1983 | 55 | 4.4777% | 2.4846% – 5.4424% |
| 1982 | 59 | 4.5327% | 2.5370% – 5.4235% |
| 1981 | 56 | 4.2949% | 2.6887% – 5.3852% |
| 1980 | 64 | 4.2333% | 2.6208% – 5.3386% |
| 1979 | 56 | 4.1546% | 2.6663% – 5.3112% |
| 1978 | 52 | 4.2106% | 2.4632% – 5.5751% |
| 1977 | 53 | 4.4738% | 3.2151% – 5.6925% |
| 1976 | 51 | 4.3127% | 2.8644% – 5.7865% |
| 1975 | 55 | 4.1545% | 2.6322% – 5.2207% |
| 1973 | 51 | 3.4857% | 2.7462% – 5.0986% |
| 1972 | 52 | 3.6206% | 2.7602% – 4.8799% |
| 1971 | 54 | 3.3770% | 2.5616% – 4.5457% |
062022 → 2023
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Mauritania1.3897% → 4.7152% · 158th → 37th+3.3256- Kiribati14.7860% → 16.3905% · 1st → 1st+1.6045
Grenada4.0377% → 5.1254% · 86th → 28th+1.0878- Algeria4.7492% → 5.6102% · 56th → 19th+0.8609
Seychelles3.6586% → 4.4541% · 99th → 42nd+0.7955
Declined most
before → after
Vanuatu10.7033% → 7.5814% · 3rd → 5th−3.1220- Macau6.0571% → 3.5018% · 24th → 68th−2.5552
Sierra Leone4.9076% → 2.6246% · 51st → 96th−2.2831
Saint Lucia4.6424% → 2.7421% · 63rd → 92nd−1.9002- Bhutan7.4698% → 5.8452% · 10th → 16th−1.6246
116 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023. The field changed from 166 to 123 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Government spending on education in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
66.9003%
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Lowest reading on record
0.0000%
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Biggest improvement between editions
+7.9367
2.1736% → 10.1102%
Biggest decline between editions
−9.1975
10.5928% → 1.3952%
Most improved since first measured
+11.1150
5.2755% → 16.3905%
At the top most often
2 countries share this record — no holder is named
7 of 51
editions
08The measure
About government spending on education
Government spending on education is what a government spends on education as a share of the whole economy. It measures commitment — what goes in — while the enrolment and completion rates show what comes out.
What the number is: Government expenditure on education (% of GDP).
What it does not measure
It measures money spent, not results, and as a share of GDP it can rise simply because the economy shrank. Private and household spending on schooling are left out.
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
A key statistic for Education & Knowledge
“What a state chooses to spend on education, as a share of its economy — the input, where the other two keys measure reach.”
- Edition used
- 2023 (data 2023)
- Countries
- 123
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 4.0
Moves with
Where government spending on education is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Public Sector Wage BillWorld Bank Group · 99 countries in commonρ 0.64
- Old-Age Pension CoverageILO · 120 countries in commonρ 0.44
- Corruption Perceptions IndexKeyTransparency International · 104 countries in commonρ 0.40
Moves against
Where government spending on education is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 96 countries in commonρ −0.45
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 290 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
11Questions
Government spending on education: questions and answers
Which country has the highest government spending on education?
Kiribati, at 16.3905%, among the 123 countries compared in 2023.
Which country has the lowest government spending on education?
Somalia, at 0.0000%, among the 123 countries compared in 2023.
How many countries does the Government Spending on Education cover?
123 in 2023, and 206 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 51 to 174 between editions.
What is the world average government spending on education?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 123 compared in 2023, the figure was 3.7092%.
Is this UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)’s own ranking?
No. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Government Spending on Education published?
This site holds 51 editions, describing 1971 to 2023.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Government Spending on Education — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out.
Newest edition
Report year 2023Data year 2023
Cite the source as: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Data Browser. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-05.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Kiribati — Photo taken by Government of Kiribati employee in the course of their work, CC BY 3.0
- Tuvalu — mrlins derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.0
- Solomon Islands — Nash Belarus, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Government spending on education by country: Government Spending on Education, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/education-spending