* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Public spending on education, percent of GDP, 2021:

The average for 2021 based on 35 countries was 3.9 percent. The highest value was in Kuwait: 7.76 percent and the lowest value was in Indonesia: 1.03 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
Kuwait 7.76 1 1971 - 2023
Bhutan 6.6 2 1971 - 2023
Israel 6.18 3 1973 - 2022
Kyrgyzstan 6.17 4 1994 - 2023
Tajikistan 5.7 5 1993 - 2023
Palestine 5.43 6 2010 - 2021
Uzbekistan 5.37 7 2011 - 2023
Macao 5.11 8 1998 - 2022
South Korea 4.87 9 1970 - 2021
India 4.64 10 1997 - 2022
Maldives 4.61 11 2000 - 2023
Kazakhstan 4.39 12 1995 - 2022
Malaysia 4.26 13 1971 - 2023
Hong Kong 4 14 1971 - 2023
China 3.99 15 1971 - 2022
Nepal 3.96 16 1998 - 2023
UA Emirates 3.89 17 2019 - 2021
Philippines 3.87 18 1980 - 2023
Turkmenistan 3.85 19 2012 - 2023
Azerbaijan 3.7 20 1992 - 2023
Georgia 3.59 21 1994 - 2023
Japan 3.34 22 1971 - 2022
Mongolia 3.34 23 1997 - 2023
Jordan 3.14 24 1970 - 2022
Cambodia 3.01 25 1998 - 2023
Thailand 2.98 26 1971 - 2023
Vietnam 2.95 27 2008 - 2022
Singapore 2.82 28 1971 - 2023
Armenia 2.77 29 1996 - 2023
Bahrain 2.22 30 1970 - 2022
Laos 1.86 31 1992 - 2023
Bangladesh 1.83 32 1979 - 2023
Pakistan 1.69 33 1971 - 2023
Sri Lanka 1.51 34 1973 - 2023
Indonesia 1.03 35 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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