The average for 2021 based on 158 countries was 4.48 percent. The highest value was in Kiribati: 14.2 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.

In 2022, Norway was the country that spent the highest share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on higher education, reaching 1.8 percent. Of this, 0.1 percent came from private sources. Austria followed behind, with its total spending reaching 1.6 percent of its GDP. On the other hand, higher education spending in Luxembourg only amounted to 0.4 percent of its GDP. To find out more about the expenditure on higher education per student in selected countries worldwide, please click here.

Education spending among countries in Europe ranged from *** percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in Sweden to *** percent of GDP in Ireland. As an overall average among member states of the European Union, the amount spent on education in Europe was *** percent of GDP in 2023.

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.

The average for 2021 based on 17 countries was 4.37 percent. The highest value was in Bolivia: 7.96 percent and the lowest value was in Haiti: 1.24 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Actual value and historical data chart for Brazil Public Spending On Education Total Percent Of GDP

Actual value and historical data chart for South Asia Public Spending On Education Total Percent Of GDP

In 2021, Norway and Iceland allocated around two percent of their GDP to early childhood education programs. In contrast, Chile and the United States devoted the largest shares of GDP to tertiary education among all OECD members, spending 2.4 and 2.3 percent, respectively.

Out of the OECD countries, Luxembourg was the country that spent the most on educational institutions per full-time student in 2020. On average, 23,000 U.S dollars were spent on primary education, nearly 27,000 U.S dollars on secondary education, and around 53,000 U.S dollars on tertiary education. The United States followed behind, with Norway in third. Meanwhile, the lowest spending was in Mexico.

Bangladesh BD: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 1.775 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.712 % for 2022. Bangladesh BD: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 1.831 % from Dec 1979 (Median) to 2023, with 37 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.221 % in 2016 and a record low of 0.938 % in 1980. Bangladesh BD: 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 Bangladesh – Table BD.World Bank.WDI: Social: 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.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Median;

Dataset Overview 📝

The dataset includes the following key indicators, collected for over 200 countries:

• Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP): Shows the percentage of a country’s GDP allocated to education.
• Literacy Rate (Adult Total): Represents the percentage of the population aged 15 and above who can read and write.
• Primary Completion Rate: The percentage of children who complete their primary education within the official age group.
• Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Primary and Secondary Education): Indicates the average number of students per teacher at the primary and secondary levels.
• School Enrollment Rates (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary): Reflects the percentage of the relevant age group enrolled in schools across different education levels.

Data Source 🌐

World Bank: This dataset is compiled from the World Bank's educational database, providing reliable, updated statistics on educational progress worldwide.

Potential Use Cases 🔍 This dataset is ideal for anyone interested in:

Educational Research: Understanding how education spending and policies impact literacy, enrollment, and overall educational outcomes. Predictive Modeling: Building models to predict educational success factors, such as completion rates and literacy. Global Education Analysis: Analyzing trends in global education systems and how different countries allocate resources to education. Policy Development: Helping governments and organizations make data-driven decisions regarding educational reforms and funding.

Key Questions You Can Explore 🤔

How does government expenditure on education correlate with literacy rates and school enrollment across different regions? What are the trends in pupil-teacher ratios over time, and how do they affect educational outcomes? How do education indicators differ between low-income and high-income countries? Can we predict which countries will achieve universal primary education based on current trends?

Important Notes ⚠️ - Missing Data: Some values may be missing for certain years or countries. Consider using techniques like forward filling or interpolation when working with time series models. - Data Limitations: This dataset provides global averages and may not capture regional disparities within countries.

This domain covers statistics and indicators on key aspects of the education systems across Europe. The data show entrants and enrolments in education levels, education personnel and the cost and type of resources dedicated to education.

For a general technical description of the UOE Data Collection see UNESCO OECD Eurostat (UOE) joint data collection – methodology - Statistics Explained (europa.eu).

The standards on international statistics on education and training systems are set by the three international organisations jointly administering the annual UOE data collection:

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation Institute for Statistics (UNESCO-UIS),
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and,
• The Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT).

The following topics are covered:

• Pupils and students – Enrolments and Entrants,
• Learning mobility,
• Education personnel,
• Education finance,
• Graduates,
• Language learning.

Data on enrolments in education are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Age or age group,
• NUTS1 and NUTS2 regions,
• Type of educational institution (public or private) – referred to as the ‘sector’ in Eurobase,
• Intensity of participation (full-time, part-time, full-time equivalent) – referred to as ‘working time’ in Eurobase,
• Programme orientation (general/academic or vocational/professional),
• Type of vocational programme (school-based only or combined school and work-based),
• Level of attainment that can be achieved upon programme completion (e.g. insufficient for level completion or partial level completion, sufficient for partial level completion without direct access to tertiary education),
• Field of education (ISCED-F13).

Additionally, the following types of indicators on enrolments are calculated (all indicators using population data use Eurostat’s population database (demo_pjan)):

• Participation rates by age or by age groups as % of corresponding age population.
• Participation rates by age as % of total population.
• Pupils from age 0, 3, 4 and 5 to the starting age of compulsory education at primary level, as % of the population of the corresponding age. In some countries, the start of primary education is not compulsory and in some countries compulsory education starts at pre-primary level. This indicator calculates the participation rates of pupils up until (but not including) the starting age of formal education that is both compulsory and at the primary level. This age varies from 5 years to 7 years across countries and the national starting ages for compulsory primary education used in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators which is available to download in the Annexes section of this page.
• Pupils under the age of 3 as % of corresponding age population. This indicator does not include 3 year olds (includes ages 0, 1 and 2).
• Out-of-school rates at different ages. This indicator is calculated as 100 – (students of a particular age who are enrolled in education at any ISCED level / Total population of that age *100).
  • Out-of-school rates in population of lower secondary school age and in population of upper secondary school age. This indicator is calculated as 100 – (students who are of the official age range for ISCED X who are enrolled in education at any ISCED level / Total population in the official age range for ISCED X *100). The official age range for each ISCED level varies across countries, and national age ranges for lower and upper secondary used in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators which is available to download in the Annexes section of this page.
  • Students in education of post-compulsory school age - as % of the total population of post-compulsory school age. The final age at which formal education is considered as compulsory in national education systems in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators.
  • Students participation at the end of compulsory education - as % of the corresponding age population. Indicator is calculated for age (X-1), (X), (X+1), (X+2) where X = the final age at which formal education is compulsory in national education systems. The final age at which formal education is considered as compulsory in national education systems in the calculation of this indicator are listed in the file Ages_educ_indicators.
  • Students in education aged 30 and over - per 1000 of corresponding age population
    • Expected school years of pupils and students at different levels of education
    • Distribution of pupils and students enrolled in general and vocational programmes by education level and NUTS2 regions
    • Distribution of students in different fields of education
    • Ratio of the proportion of the population who are tertiary students in NUTS1 regions to the proportion of the population who are tertiary students in NUTS2 regions

Data on entrants in education are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Programme orientation (general/academic or vocational/professional),
• Sex,
• Age or age group,
• Field of education (ISCED-F13).

Additionally the following indicator on entrants is calculated:

• Distribution of new entrants in different fields of education.

Data on learning mobility is available for degree mobile students, degree mobile graduates and credit mobile graduates. Degree mobility means that students/graduates are/were enrolled as regular students in any semester/term of a programme taught in the country of destination with the intention of graduating from it in the country of destination. Credit mobility is defined as temporary tertiary education or/and study-related traineeship abroad within the framework of enrolment in a tertiary education programme at a "home institution" (usually) for the purpose of gaining academic credit (i.e. credit that will be recognised in that home institution). Further definitions are in Section 2.8 of the UOE manual.

Degree mobile students are referred to as just ‘mobile students’ in UOE learning mobility tables. Data is disseminated for degree mobile students and degree mobile graduates in absolute numbers with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Field of education (ISCED-F13),
• Country of origin (defined as the country of education prior to entering tertiary although there may be national deviations. These are listed in the Helpsheet of the latest footnotes report available to download in the Annexes section of this page) – referred to as ‘Geopolitical entity (partner)’ in Eurobase.

Additionally the following types of indicators on degree mobile students and degree mobile graduates are calculated ((all indicators using population data use Eurostat’s population database (demo_pjan)):

• Share of all students/graduates who are mobile students/degree mobile graduates from abroad,
• Distribution of mobile students/degree mobile graduates from abroad in different fields of education.

For credit mobile graduates, data are disseminated in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED level of education,
• Sex,
• Type of mobility scheme (e.g. Credit mobility under EU programmes i.e. ERASMUS, Credit mobility in other international/national programmes),
• Type of mobility (study period only or study period combined with work placement),
• Country of destination – referred to as ‘Geopolitical entity (partner)’ in Eurobase.

Data on personnel in education are available for classroom teachers/academic staff, teacher aides and school-management personnel. Teachers are employed in a professional capacity to guide and direct the learning experiences of students, irrespective of their training, qualifications or delivery mechanism. Teacher aides support teachers in providing instruction to students. Academic staff are personnel employed at the tertiary level of education whose primary assignment is instruction and/or research. School management personnel covers professional personnel who are responsible for school management/administration (ISCED 0-4) or whose primary or major responsibility is the management of the institution, or a recognised department or subdivision of the institution (tertiary levels). Full definitions of these statistical units are in Section 3.5 of the UOE manual.

Data are disseminated on teachers and academic staff in absolute numbers, with breakdowns available for the following dimensions:

• ISCED

The average for 2021 based on 42 countries was 4.81 percent. The highest value was in Iceland: 8.22 percent and the lowest value was in Monaco: 1.42 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Pakistan PK: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 2.758 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.492 % for 2016. Pakistan PK: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 2.381 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2017, with 42 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.022 % in 1997 and a record low of 1.578 % in 1972. Pakistan PK: 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 Pakistan – Table PK.World Bank.WDI: 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;

In 2023, the government expenditure on education in Bhutan was **** percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). In contrast, the government expenditure on education in Laos was about **** percent of the GDP that year.

Time series data for the statistic Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%) and country United States. Indicator Definition:Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on tertiary education (current, capital, and transfers), expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. Divide total government expenditure for a given level of education (ex. primary, secondary, or all levels combined) by the GDP, and multiply by 100. A higher percentage of GDP spent on education shows a higher government priority for education, but also a higher capacity of the government to raise revenues for public spending, in relation to the size of the country's economy. When interpreting this indicator however, one should keep in mind in some countries, the private sector and/or households may fund a higher proportion of total funding for education, thus making government expenditure appear lower than in other countries. Limitations: In some instances data on total public expenditure on education refers only to the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries which may also spend a part of their budget on educational activities. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON TERTIARY EDUCATION AS PERCENT OF GDP WB DATA.HTML reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

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.

Cambodia KH: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 2.951 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.883 % for 2022. Cambodia KH: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 1.711 % from Dec 1998 (Median) to 2023, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.012 % in 2021 and a record low of 1.259 % in 1998. Cambodia KH: 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 Cambodia – Table KH.World Bank.WDI: Social: 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.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed April 5, 2025. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Median;

Time series data for the statistic Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%) and country Hong Kong SAR, China. Indicator Definition:Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on tertiary education (current, capital, and transfers), expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. Divide total government expenditure for a given level of education (ex. primary, secondary, or all levels combined) by the GDP, and multiply by 100. A higher percentage of GDP spent on education shows a higher government priority for education, but also a higher capacity of the government to raise revenues for public spending, in relation to the size of the country's economy. When interpreting this indicator however, one should keep in mind in some countries, the private sector and/or households may fund a higher proportion of total funding for education, thus making government expenditure appear lower than in other countries. Limitations: In some instances data on total public expenditure on education refers only to the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries which may also spend a part of their budget on educational activities. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/The indicator "Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%)" stands at 1.33 as of 12/31/2019, the highest value since 12/31/2014. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes an increase of 35.83 percent compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is 35.83.The 3 year change in percent is 32.49.The 5 year change in percent is 27.15.The 10 year change in percent is -33.56.The Serie's long term average value is 0.891. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2019, is 48.95 percent higher, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/1982, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2019, is +2,482.34%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/2009, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2019, is -33.56%.