Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Japan was reported at 3.2376 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Brazil BR: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 5.497 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.772 % for 2020. Brazil BR: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 5.480 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2021, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.320 % in 2017 and a record low of 3.750 % in 2002. Brazil BR: 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 Brazil – Table BR.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 September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Median;

Korea Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 5.065 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.057 % for 2014. Korea Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 3.677 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2015, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.377 % in 1982 and a record low of 2.097 % in 1975. Korea 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 Korea – Table KR.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;

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Italy was reported at 4.2183 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in France was reported at 5.4304 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. France - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Syria SY: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 5.130 % in 2009. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.595 % for 2008. Syria SY: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 5.047 % from Dec 1972 (Median) to 2009, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.481 % in 2003 and a record low of 3.584 % in 1972. Syria SY: 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 Syrian Arab Republic – Table SY.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;

Government spending on education in Russia stood at over four percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. Compared to the previous year, the expenditure's share in the country's GDP increased by 0.6 percentage points.

In 2021, Chile was the country that spent the highest share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on higher education, reaching 2.4 percent. Of this, 1.5 percent came from private sources. The United States followed behind with its total spending reaching 2.4 percent of its GDP. On the other hand, higher education spending in Saudi Arabia only amounted to 0.3 percent of its GDP. To find out more about the expenditure on higher education per student in selected countries worldwide, please click here.

In 2021, the government expenditure on education as a share of GDP of in Brazil decreased by 0.3 percentage points (-5.2 percent) compared to 2020. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher education government spending than the preceding years.

In 2023/24, the government of the United Kingdom spent approximately 4.1 percent of its gross domestic product on education, compared with 4.2 percent in the previous financial year. During this time period, education spending as a share of GDP was highest in 2009/10 when it was 5.7 percent.

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Ireland was reported at 3.006 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Ireland - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Belgium BE: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 6.356 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.802 % for 2020. Belgium BE: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 5.763 % from Dec 1975 (Median) to 2021, with 37 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.802 % in 2020 and a record low of 2.989 % in 1995. Belgium BE: 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 Belgium – Table BE.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 September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Median;

In 2024, public spending on education in China reached 4.2 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 25 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 4.8 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 18,100 U.S. dollars in 2020, it reached only 40,700 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 Guatemala was reported at 3.1794 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Guatemala - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Government spending on the education system in Portugal reached the lowest share of gross domestic product (GDP) during the period analyzed in 2022, at 4.3 percent. The share of government expenditure on education was the highest at 4.7 percent of GDP in 20220 and 2021.

In 2022, the government of Ghana spent nearly three percent of its total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education. Between 2008 and 2022, government spending in the sector fluctuated, with the highest shares recorded in 2011 (8.14 percent of GDP) and 2012 (7.92 percent of GDP). On the other hand, the lowest level of educational spending was in 2019 (3.15 percent of GDP).

This table gives an overview of government expenditure on regular education in the Netherlands since 1900. All figures presented have been calculated according to the standardised definitions of the OECD. Government expenditure on education consists of expenditure by central and local government on education institutions and education. The government finances schools, colleges and universities. It pays for research and development conducted by universities. Furthermore it provides student grants and loans, allowances for school costs, provisions for students with a disability and child care allowances to households as well as subsidies to companies and non-profit organisations. Total government expenditure is broken down into expenditure on education institutions and education on the one hand and government expenditure on student grants and loans and allowances for school costs to households on the other. If applicable these subjects are broken down into pre-primary and primary education, special needs primary education, secondary education, senior secondary vocational and adult education, higher professional education and university education. Data are available from 1900. Figures for the Second World War period are based on estimations due to a lack of source material. The table also includes the indicator government expenditure on education as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). This indicator is used to compare government expenditure on education internationally. The indicator is compounded on the basis of definitions of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development). The indicator is also presented in the StatLine table Education; Education expenditure and CBS /OECD indicators. Figures for the First World War and Second World War period are not available for this indicator due to a lack of reliable data on GDP for these periods. The statistic on Education spending is compiled on a cash basis. This means that the education expenditure and revenues are allocated to the year in which they are paid out or received. However, the activity or transaction associated with the payment or receipt can take place in a different year. Statistics Netherlands published the revised National Accounts in June 2024. Among other things, GDP has been adjusted upwards as a result of the revision. The revision has not been extended to the years before 1995. In the indicator 'Total government expenditure as % of GDP', a break occurs between 1994 and 1995 as a result of the revision. Data available from: 1900 Status of the figures: The figures from 1995 to 2022 are final. The 2023 figures are provisional. Changes on 31 December 2024: The final figures of 2021 and 2022 and the provisional figures of 2023 have been added. As a result of the revision of the National Accounts, among other things, GDP has been adjusted upwards. The indicator ‘Total government expenditure as % of GDP’ in this table has been updated on the basis of the revised figures for the entire time series since 1995. A break occurs in the indicator between 1994 and 1995. When will new figures be published? The final figures for 2023 and the provisional figures for 2024 will be published in December 2025. More information on the revision policy of National Accounts can be found under 'relevant articles' under paragraph 3.

Countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council vary significantly in size, population, and available budget. In 2023, three of the six GCC countries budgeted more than 15 percent of state expenditure on education. The remaining three budgeted between 9 and 11.5 percent each. GCC investment in education Investment in education has become a key priority for GCC countries in recent years. Countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates even have campuses of American universities like Northwestern, NYU, and Michigan State. In 2021, all countries in the council saw an increase in the share of student enrollment, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait recording only a marginal increase and the UAE topping the list with the biggest jump. Despite rising student enrollment, the average student-to-teacher ratio in the region remains low.

Budget expenditure in the GCC Budget allocation for education comprised a significant share of the expenditure in most GCC countries. Saudi Arabia, which has the overwhelming share of schools in the GCC, dedicated the most significant portion of its budget to the education sector. Four out of the six countries spent a noticeably smaller portion of their expenditure on healthcare during the same period.

Cuba CU: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 9.386 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.047 % for 2019. Cuba CU: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 9.222 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2021, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.059 % in 2008 and a record low of 5.619 % in 1994. Cuba CU: 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 Cuba – Table CU.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 September 30, 2024. https://apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.;Median;

Public expenditure on education in Finland fluctuated between 5.5 and 6.5 percent (as ratio to the GDP) in the period from 1990 to 2022. In 2022, public expenditure on the education system in Finland was 5.5 percent of GDP.