Loading…
UIS · Government Funding per Primary Student
Government funding per primary student by country
How much does a government spend on each primary pupil, relative to income per person?
South Korea placed first of the 68 countries compared in 2022, at 34.57%, and Monaco last, at 3.77%. In the middle country the figure was 17.81%.
Government funding per primary student · 2022
Context statistic
Highest of 68South Korea
34.57%012022 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 68 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
2
3Photo: Hansueli Krapf · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2022
- 68
Monaco3.77% - 67
Egypt6.37% - 66
Trinidad and Tobago7.46%
Positions out of 68. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
South Africa20.14% - Americas
Jamaica25.19% - AsiaSouth Korea34.57%
- Europe
Iceland25.93% - Oceania
Marshall Islands21.74%3 of 21 measured
- Every region
02Every measured country
Government funding per primary student 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.
- 3.77–11.82%
- 12.32–15.96%
- 16.79–19.06%
- 19.11–22.48%
- 22.54–34.57%
- No reading in 2022 (103 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
20.22%
the middle country, of 30 measured · 49 members
Iceland25.93%Monaco3.77%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
16.07%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 52 members
South Korea34.57%
Türkiye8.92%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
14.36%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 55 members
South Africa20.14%Egypt6.37%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Americas
13.74%
the middle country, of 20 measured · 48 members
Jamaica25.19%Trinidad and Tobago7.46%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Oceania
3 of 21 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, Marshall Islands, New Zealand.
Marshall Islands21.74%
New Zealand17.35%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
16 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Europe
20.94%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 10 members
Bulgaria25.22%
Romania8.36%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Europe
20.22%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 13 members
Iceland25.93%
Norway15.96%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Southern Europe
19.55%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 17 members
Slovenia24.64%
Andorra11.77%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Europe
19.24%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 9 members
Switzerland24.23%Monaco3.77%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Caribbean
15.64%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 24 members
Jamaica25.19%Trinidad and Tobago7.46%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Western Asia
15.11%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 19 members
Cyprus26.78%Türkiye8.92%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Central America
14.41%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica20.34%
Panama10.20%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- South America
12.82%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 12 members
Brazil19.06%
Ecuador9.93%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia18.96%New Zealand17.35%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Eastern Africa
1 of 19 measured — too few for a middle: Mauritius.
Mauritius16.79%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Eastern Asia
2 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Hong Kong, South Korea.
South Korea34.57%
Hong Kong19.00%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Micronesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands21.74%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern Africa
1 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Egypt.
Egypt6.37%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- South-eastern Asia
1 of 11 measured — too few for a middle: Singapore.
Singapore14.43%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Africa
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: South Africa.
South Africa20.14%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Western Africa
2 of 16 measured — too few for a middle: Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal.
Senegal14.36%
Côte d’Ivoire9.58%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
68 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 17.81%; a quarter are above 21.61%, and a quarter below 13.51%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 171 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. It covers primary education only. Secondary and tertiary funding are published as separate series and are not on this site.
Showing 25 of 171 countries
Values for 2022. The change column compares 2022 with 2021 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051999–2022 · 24 editions
Over time
Each point is one year of UNESCO Institute for Statistics data. Few countries report every year, so lines often have gaps.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 68 | 17.81% | 13.51% – 21.61% |
| 2021 | 73 | 18.51% | 12.80% – 22.16% |
| 2020 | 73 | 18.68% | 13.15% – 23.39% |
| 2019 | 78 | 17.26% | 12.88% – 21.97% |
| 2018 | 71 | 16.70% | 12.69% – 21.55% |
| 2017 | 75 | 16.09% | 11.48% – 21.31% |
| 2016 | 82 | 15.40% | 11.53% – 20.65% |
| 2015 | 87 | 14.81% | 11.35% – 20.32% |
| 2014 | 91 | 14.43% | 9.83% – 20.10% |
| 2013 | 97 | 14.89% | 10.06% – 20.48% |
| 2012 | 90 | 13.84% | 9.51% – 19.73% |
| 2011 | 99 | 14.72% | 8.92% – 20.13% |
| 2010 | 93 | 14.09% | 8.43% – 20.93% |
| 2009 | 87 | 15.01% | 9.91% – 20.43% |
| 2008 | 83 | 14.39% | 10.45% – 19.10% |
| 2007 | 72 | 14.20% | 10.50% – 19.16% |
| 2006 | 65 | 13.81% | 9.80% – 20.49% |
| 2005 | 74 | 13.06% | 9.80% – 18.94% |
| 2004 | 74 | 12.29% | 9.40% – 19.31% |
| 2003 | 62 | 13.96% | 11.09% – 19.13% |
| 2002 | 73 | 13.05% | 10.11% – 18.92% |
| 2001 | 63 | 13.86% | 9.92% – 19.02% |
| 2000 | 64 | 13.01% | 9.50% – 17.82% |
| 1999 | 56 | 12.38% | 10.06% – 18.68% |
062021 → 2022
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- South Korea27.47% → 34.57% · 2nd → 1st+7.10
Turks and Caicos Islands6.82% → 8.66% · 70th → 64th+1.84- Senegal13.27% → 14.36% · 52nd → 49th+1.10
- Brazil18.23% → 19.06% · 39th → 27th+0.83
Netherlands18.42% → 19.24% · 38th → 25th+0.82
Declined most
before → after
Belize22.81% → 18.53% · 17th → 30th−4.28- Norway20.07% → 15.96% · 29th → 41st−4.11
Azerbaijan12.26% → 9.04% · 58th → 62nd−3.22
Poland25.47% → 22.48% · 7th → 14th−2.99
Hungary18.51% → 15.74% · 37th → 43rd−2.77
62 countries were measured in both 2021 and 2022. The field changed from 73 to 68 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Government funding per primary student in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
69.26%
Government funding per primary student (% of GDP per capita)
Lowest reading on record
0.08%
Government funding per primary student (% of GDP per capita)
Biggest improvement between editions
+14.54
0.08% → 14.62%
Biggest decline between editions
−17.38
17.46% → 0.08%
Most improved since first measured
+18.66
15.91% → 34.57%
At the top most often
6 of 24
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About government funding per primary student
Government funding per primary student is what a government spends on each primary-school pupil, expressed as a share of GDP per person. That form makes rich and poor countries comparable, since the same dollar buys very different amounts of schooling.
What the number is: Government funding per primary student (% of GDP per capita).
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
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Governance & Institutions and Education & Knowledge, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Governance & InstitutionsEducation & KnowledgeWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where government funding per primary student is higher, these tend to be higher too.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Moves against
Where government funding per primary student is higher, these tend to be lower.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 0 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The countries at either end
11Questions
Government funding per primary student: questions and answers
Which country has the highest government funding per primary student?
South Korea, at 34.57%, among the 68 countries compared in 2022.
Which country has the lowest government funding per primary student?
Monaco, at 3.77%, among the 68 countries compared in 2022.
How many countries does the Government Funding per Primary Student cover?
68 in 2022, and 171 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 56 to 99 between editions.
What is the world average government funding per primary student?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 68 compared in 2022, the figure was 17.81%.
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 Funding per Primary Student published?
This site holds 24 editions, describing 1999 to 2022.
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, initial government funding per primary student. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out. Every edition is available on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Government Funding per Primary Student — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics data API, initial government funding per primary student. Years reporting fewer than 50 countries are left out.
Newest edition
Report year 2022Data year 2022
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 full note on this data
24 editions (1999–2022), 56 to 99 countries. Initial government funding per primary-school student, expressed as a share of GDP per capita — the form that makes rich and poor countries comparable at all, since the same dollar buys very different amounts of schooling. ⚠ PRIMARY LEVEL ONLY, and named for it. UIS publishes this per level of education rather than as a single figure, so a page called simply “spending per student” would be describing a number that does not exist; the secondary and tertiary versions are separate series and are not imported here. ⚠ Editions reporting fewer than 50 countries are not written — that drops UIS’s trailing stub year, which opens with a handful of early reporters, and any thin historical year. ⚠ UIS ranks nobody, so no rank is stored; the POSITION on the statistics page is derived here by ordering the score and labelled as ours.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cyprus — Kaktus999, CC0
- Iceland — Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Government funding per primary student by country: Government Funding per Primary Student, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/education-spending-per-student