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.

The average for 2021 based on 44 countries was 4.56 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.

World education spending for 2022 was 13.83%, a 1.05% increase from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World education spending for 2021 was <strong>12.78%</strong>, a <strong>0.07% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World education spending for 2020 was <strong>12.85%</strong>, a <strong>0.98% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>World education spending for 2019 was <strong>13.83%</strong>, a <strong>0.66% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

Education spending among countries in Europe ranged from *** percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in Iceland to *** percent of GDP in Ireland. As an overall average among member states of the European Union, the amount spent on education in Europe overall was *** percent of GDP in 2022.

Global General Government Expenditure on Education by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

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 ** percent of state expenditure on education. The remaining three budgeted between * and **** 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.

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.

In 2021, Luxembourg was the OECD country that spent the highest amount on higher education per student, reaching roughly 35,000 U.S. dollars. This was even though it was the country that spent the lowest amount in terms of share of gross domestic product. The United States followed behind, with the United Kingdom in third. On the other hand, Mexico was the OECD country in which the lowest amount was spent per full-time student in higher education.

South Africa education spending for 2022 was 18.65%, a 0.28% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>South Africa education spending for 2021 was <strong>18.93%</strong>, a <strong>0.28% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>South Africa education spending for 2020 was <strong>18.65%</strong>, a <strong>0.05% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>South Africa education spending for 2019 was <strong>18.69%</strong>, a <strong>1.6% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

The average for 2022 based on 113 countries was 13.94 percent. The highest value was in Sierra Leone: 29.37 percent and the lowest value was in Nigeria: 4.3 percent. The indicator is available from 1972 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

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.

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in Brazil was reported at 5.497 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Brazil - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Global Primary Education Expenditure by Country, 2023 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in South Asia was reported at 1.8278 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Asia - Public spending on education, total (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

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;

The average for 2021 based on 39 countries was 4.18 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.

Indonesia education spending for 2022 was 13.93%, a 2.14% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Indonesia education spending for 2021 was <strong>16.07%</strong>, a <strong>1.88% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Indonesia education spending for 2020 was <strong>17.94%</strong>, a <strong>0.61% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Indonesia education spending for 2019 was <strong>17.34%</strong>, a <strong>0.54% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

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.

Chad TD: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 2.539 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.888 % for 2021. Chad TD: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 2.343 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2022, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.228 % in 1999 and a record low of 1.593 % in 2004. Chad TD: 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 Chad – Table TD.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;

Saudi Arabia SA: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of Government Expenditure data was reported at 19.257 % in 2008. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21.604 % for 2006. Saudi Arabia SA: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of Government Expenditure data is updated yearly, averaging 19.257 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2008, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.982 % in 1998 and a record low of 12.296 % in 1997. Saudi Arabia SA: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of Government Expenditure data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Saudi Arabia – Table SA.World Bank: Education Statistics. General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). 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;