* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Public spending on education, percent of GDP, 2023:

The average for 2023 based on 38 countries was 3.71 percent. The highest value was in Lesotho: 7.29 percent and the lowest value was in Somalia: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2025. 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, 2023 Global rank Available data
Lesotho 7.29 1 1971 - 2024
Tunisia 6.73 2 1980 - 2023
Senegal 6.16 3 1998 - 2023
South Africa 6.12 4 1987 - 2024
Morocco 6.02 5 1973 - 2023
Algeria 5.61 6 1979 - 2024
Burkina Faso 5.33 7 1978 - 2023
S.T.&Principe 5.03 8 2002 - 2023
Swaziland 5 9 1976 - 2024
Rwanda 4.92 10 1977 - 2024
Mauritania 4.72 11 1997 - 2024
Mauritius 4.57 12 1971 - 2024
Seychelles 4.45 13 1970 - 2023
Cape Verde 4.35 14 1998 - 2023
Mali 4.18 15 1978 - 2023
Togo 4.14 16 1970 - 2023
Niger 4.07 17 1971 - 2023
Zambia 4.07 18 1970 - 2023
Kenya 3.96 19 1971 - 2024
Ivory Coast 3.39 20 1970 - 2024
R. of Congo 3.34 21 1970 - 2023
Tanzania 3.26 22 1971 - 2024
Benin 3.23 23 1998 - 2023
Chad 3.2 24 1997 - 2023
Madagascar 3.05 25 1972 - 2023
Ethiopia 2.93 26 1971 - 2024
Cameroon 2.84 27 1971 - 2023
Gambia 2.81 28 1985 - 2023
Sierra Leone 2.62 29 2000 - 2023
Angola 2.51 30 1985 - 2023
Comoros 2.34 31 1998 - 2023
Gabon 2.32 32 1992 - 2023
Liberia 2.27 33 1978 - 2023
C.A. Republic 1.83 34 1978 - 2023
Guinea 1.72 35 1984 - 2023
Zimbabwe 0.38 36 2010 - 2023
Nigeria 0.32 37 1974 - 2023
Somalia 0 38 1972 - 2023


New - World map: Education spending, percent of GDP




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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