* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Public spending on education, percent of GDP, 2021:

The average for 2021 based on 42 countries was 4.3 percent. The highest value was in Namibia: 10.39 percent and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 0.38 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: percent; Source: UNESCO
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Education spending, percent of GDP, 2021 Global rank Available data
Namibia 10.39 1 1999 - 2023
Sierra Leone 9.44 2 2000 - 2023
Lesotho 7.51 3 1971 - 2023
Tunisia 6.68 4 1980 - 2023
South Africa 6.55 5 1987 - 2023
Mozambique 6.5 6 1998 - 2022
Cape Verde 6.04 7 1998 - 2022
Morocco 5.64 8 1973 - 2023
Seychelles 5.62 9 1970 - 2022
Senegal 5.61 10 1998 - 2022
Rwanda 5.59 11 1977 - 2023
S.T.&Principe 5.52 12 2002 - 2022
Algeria 5.51 13 1979 - 2023
Swaziland 5.29 14 1976 - 2023
Burkina Faso 5.22 15 1978 - 2022
Kenya 4.89 16 1971 - 2023
Burundi 4.87 17 1979 - 2022
Mauritius 4.67 18 1971 - 2023
Mali 4.36 19 1978 - 2022
Togo 4.23 20 1970 - 2022
Ethiopia 4.07 21 1971 - 2022
Niger 3.82 22 1971 - 2022
R. of Congo 3.67 23 1970 - 2022
Ghana 3.42 24 1971 - 2022
Ivory Coast 3.33 25 1970 - 2023
Benin 3.2 26 1998 - 2022
Madagascar 3.2 27 1972 - 2022
Tanzania 3.12 28 1971 - 2023
Zambia 3.11 29 1970 - 2022
Gambia 3.04 30 1985 - 2023
Chad 2.89 31 1997 - 2022
Cameroon 2.83 32 1971 - 2022
Gabon 2.7 33 1992 - 2022
DR Congo 2.66 34 1980 - 2022
Uganda 2.64 35 1971 - 2023
Angola 2.3 36 1985 - 2022
Comoros 2.27 37 1998 - 2022
Liberia 2.11 38 1978 - 2022
Guinea 2.04 39 1984 - 2022
Mauritania 1.89 40 1997 - 2023
C.A. Republic 1.87 41 1978 - 2022
Nigeria 0.38 42 1974 - 2022



Definition: General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

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