In 2024, public spending on education in China reached *** trillion yuan. Education expenditure increased continuously over recent years, but growth rates are considerably lower than ten years ago. Development of public spending on education Since the beginning of the reform era, the Chinese government attached great importance to the development of the educational sector. Besides structural reforms, public spending on education was increased considerably. However, the whole educational sector lagged far behind international standards in terms of quality as well as quantity. Public expenditure on education as a share of the national GDP, which is a common measure to compare educational systems, ranged at only around 2.5 percent in the mid-1990s. In 1993, the government announced the plan to increase educational spending to four percent of the GDP until 2000, but it took 12 more years to reach that target. However, considering that at the same time the GDP grew by double digits most of the years, the financial situation of the education sector improved greatly. This manifests itself in the substantially increased number of graduates and quality of degrees. Since achieving the four percent target in 2012, the growth of educational spending, which had reached more than ** percent per year in the years before, was reduced to levels equaling the GDP growth. Compared to the public spending on education of developed countries, China is still at the lower range and did not reach the OECD average of around *** percent of the GDP in 2018. Spending per student Even though educational spending in China improved a lot in the last decades, when calculated per student, expenditure is still far behind developed countries. While spending per student on a tertiary level of education in OECD countries averaged around ****** U.S. dollars in 2020, it reached only ****** yuan per student in China in 2023, which is less than one third. This fact sheds some light on the average quality level of the educational system in China on a general basis and reminds us that China is a huge and populous country. Of which, some elite schools in the big cities coexist with vast numbers of schools in the countryside operating on a completely different level of quality.

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in China was reported at 4.0236 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

In 2023, the average annual public spending per student at different levels of education in China ranged between ****** yuan for college and university students and ****** yuan for primaryschool children. That year, the total public spending on education in China amounted to around *** trillion yuan.

China Government Expenditure: Education data was reported at 387.200 RMB bn in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 580.900 RMB bn for Dec 2024. China Government Expenditure: Education data is updated monthly, averaging 192.586 RMB bn from Jan 2007 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 203 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 580.900 RMB bn in Dec 2024 and a record low of 35.740 RMB bn in Jan 2007. China Government Expenditure: Education data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FA: Government Revenue and Expenditure: Monthly.

In 2023, the total public spending on all different levels of education in China amounted to approximately **** trillion yuan. Of this total sum, around **** trillion yuan were spent on tertiary education.

Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in China was reported at 10.5 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Public spending on education, total (% of government expenditure) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Adjusted savings: education expenditure (current US$) in China was reported at 314544773143 USD in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Adjusted savings: education expenditure - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

China Consumption Expenditure per Capita: Education,Cultural and Recreation data was reported at 3,189.000 RMB in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,904.000 RMB for 2023. China Consumption Expenditure per Capita: Education,Cultural and Recreation data is updated yearly, averaging 1,136.200 RMB from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2024, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,189.000 RMB in 2024 and a record low of 194.700 RMB in 1998. China Consumption Expenditure per Capita: Education,Cultural and Recreation data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Household Survey – Table CN.HD: Expenditure per Capita.

Government Expenditure: Education: Guangdong: Shenzhen data was reported at 100,144.740 RMB mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 94,894.380 RMB mn for 2022. Government Expenditure: Education: Guangdong: Shenzhen data is updated yearly, averaging 28,772.800 RMB mn from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2023, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100,144.740 RMB mn in 2023 and a record low of 3,894.520 RMB mn in 2003. Government Expenditure: Education: Guangdong: Shenzhen data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FC: Government Expenditure: Education: Prefecture Level City.

In 2023, public expenditure on education in China amounted to around *** percent of national GDP. That value increased from around *** percent in the mid-1990s to above **** percent in 2012, but did not change very much in recent years.

Forecast: Higher Education Expenditure on R&D in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Forecast: Higher Education Expenditure on R&D in China 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Shanghai: Govt Expenditure: Education data was reported at 123,385.000 RMB mn in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 120,614.000 RMB mn for 2023. Shanghai: Govt Expenditure: Education data is updated yearly, averaging 59,909.590 RMB mn from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2024, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 123,385.000 RMB mn in 2024 and a record low of 7,503.190 RMB mn in 1999. Shanghai: Govt Expenditure: Education data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FB: Local Government: Shanghai.

Adjusted savings: education expenditure (% of GNI) in China was reported at 1.79 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Adjusted savings: education expenditure (% of GNI) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This statistic shows the per capita expenditure of private urban households in China on education, culture, and recreation in 2023, by region. In 2023, one member of a private household in Shanghai municipality spent approximately ***** yuan on education and recreation.

Forecast: Expenditure on Basic Research of Higher Education in China 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Macau MO: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 2.978 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.032 % for 2014. Macau MO: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 2.657 % from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2015, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.378 % in 1998 and a record low of 2.032 % in 2014. Macau MO: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau – Table MO.World Bank: Education Statistics. 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.; ; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.; Median;

This graph shows the annual growth rate of public expenditure on education in China from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, public expenditure on education in China increased by 2.0 percent compared to the previous year.

This statistic illustrates average annual per capita expenditure on cultural and educational entertainment of private households in China in selected years from 2000 to 2024. In 2024, Chinese spent on average around ***** yuan a year on cultural and education entertainment, nominal *** percent more than in the previous year.

Beijing: Govt Expenditure: Education data was reported at 122,790.350 RMB mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 117,112.070 RMB mn for 2022. Beijing: Govt Expenditure: Education data is updated yearly, averaging 6,616.310 RMB mn from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2023, with 46 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 122,790.350 RMB mn in 2023 and a record low of 145.760 RMB mn in 1978. Beijing: Govt Expenditure: Education data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Finance. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Government and Public Finance – Table CN.FB: Local Government: Beijing.