Government spending on education by country, 2023 (% of GDP)
What national, regional and local governments spend on schools, universities and other education, as a share of GDP, for 170 countries and areas, ranked from highest to lowest. Source: World Bank, from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Key facts
- World: governments spend 3.6% of GDP on education (2023).
- Highest: Kiribati (16.4%), Tuvalu (12.8%) and Namibia (9.1%).
- Lowest in the list: Nigeria (0.3%).
170 rows
| 1 | Kiribati | 16.4 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tuvalu | 12.8 | 2023 |
| 3 | Namibia | 9.1 | 2024 |
| 4 | Algeria | 9.0 | 2024 |
| 5 | Cuba | 8.4 | 2022 |
| 6 | Solomon Islands | 8.3 | 2023 |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 7.7 | 2022 |
| 8 | Mauritania | 7.6 | 2024 |
| 8 | Vanuatu | 7.6 | 2024 |
| 10 | Bolivia | 7.5 | 2024 |
| 11 | Iceland | 7.3 | 2022 |
| 11 | Sweden | 7.3 | 2022 |
| 13 | Kyrgyzstan | 6.8 | 2023 |
| 14 | Tunisia | 6.7 | 2023 |
| 15 | Lesotho | 6.6 | 2024 |
| 15 | Moldova | 6.6 | 2023 |
| 17 | St. Vincent & Grenadines | 6.5 | 2023 |
| 18 | Denmark | 6.4 | 2022 |
| 18 | Finland | 6.4 | 2022 |
| 18 | Kuwait | 6.4 | 2024 |
| 21 | Belgium | 6.3 | 2022 |
| 22 | Senegal | 6.2 | 2023 |
| 23 | Eswatini | 6.0 | 2024 |
| 23 | Morocco | 6.0 | 2023 |
| 23 | Mozambique | 6.0 | 2022 |
| 23 | South Africa | 6.0 | 2024 |
| 27 | Israel | 5.9 | 2022 |
| 28 | Bhutan | 5.8 | 2023 |
| 28 | Nauru | 5.8 | 2023 |
| 30 | Brazil | 5.6 | 2022 |
| 31 | Jamaica | 5.5 | 2024 |
| 31 | Samoa | 5.5 | 2024 |
| 31 | Uzbekistan | 5.5 | 2023 |
| 34 | Curaçao | 5.4 | 2024 |
| 34 | Dominica | 5.4 | 2024 |
| 34 | South Korea | 5.4 | 2022 |
| 34 | Norway | 5.4 | 2022 |
| 34 | Tajikistan | 5.4 | 2023 |
| 39 | Austria | 5.3 | 2022 |
| 39 | Burkina Faso | 5.3 | 2023 |
| 39 | Costa Rica | 5.3 | 2023 |
| 39 | France | 5.3 | 2022 |
| 39 | Slovenia | 5.3 | 2022 |
| 39 | Tonga | 5.3 | 2022 |
| 45 | Estonia | 5.2 | 2022 |
| 45 | Germany | 5.2 | 2022 |
| 45 | Maldives | 5.2 | 2023 |
| 45 | Mongolia | 5.2 | 2024 |
| 45 | Netherlands | 5.2 | 2022 |
| 45 | New Zealand | 5.2 | 2023 |
| 45 | Timor-Leste | 5.2 | 2023 |
| 52 | Australia | 5.1 | 2022 |
| 52 | Grenada | 5.1 | 2023 |
| 54 | Argentina | 5.0 | 2023 |
| 54 | Belarus | 5.0 | 2024 |
| 54 | São Tomé & Príncipe | 5.0 | 2023 |
| 57 | Chile | 4.9 | 2022 |
| 57 | Kazakhstan | 4.9 | 2023 |
| 57 | Switzerland | 4.9 | 2022 |
| 60 | Canada | 4.8 | 2022 |
| 60 | Uruguay | 4.8 | 2023 |
| 62 | Cyprus | 4.7 | 2022 |
| 62 | Malta | 4.7 | 2022 |
| 62 | Slovakia | 4.7 | 2022 |
| 65 | Belize | 4.6 | 2024 |
| 65 | Portugal | 4.6 | 2022 |
| 65 | Rwanda | 4.6 | 2024 |
| 65 | Spain | 4.6 | 2022 |
| 69 | Bulgaria | 4.5 | 2022 |
| 69 | Burundi | 4.5 | 2025 |
| 69 | Honduras | 4.5 | 2023 |
| 69 | Saudi Arabia | 4.5 | 2023 |
| 69 | Seychelles | 4.5 | 2023 |
| 74 | Oman | 4.4 | 2022 |
| 74 | Peru | 4.4 | 2024 |
| 76 | Cape Verde | 4.3 | 2023 |
| 76 | Czechia | 4.3 | 2022 |
| 76 | Latvia | 4.3 | 2022 |
| 76 | Lithuania | 4.3 | 2022 |
| 76 | Poland | 4.3 | 2022 |
| 76 | Puerto Rico | 4.3 | 2024 |
| 76 | Turkmenistan | 4.3 | 2024 |
| 83 | Fiji | 4.2 | 2023 |
| 83 | Mali | 4.2 | 2023 |
| 83 | Mauritius | 4.2 | 2024 |
| 83 | Russia | 4.2 | 2023 |
| 87 | India | 4.1 | 2022 |
| 87 | Italy | 4.1 | 2022 |
| 87 | Mexico | 4.1 | 2022 |
| 87 | Niger | 4.1 | 2023 |
| 87 | Togo | 4.1 | 2023 |
| 87 | Zambia | 4.1 | 2023 |
| 93 | Georgia | 4.0 | 2024 |
| 93 | Kenya | 4.0 | 2024 |
| 93 | Philippines | 4.0 | 2025 |
| 96 | China | 3.9 | 2023 |
| 96 | Sint Maarten | 3.9 | 2023 |
| 98 | Dominican Republic | 3.8 | 2023 |
| 98 | Hong Kong SAR China | 3.8 | 2024 |
| 98 | Hungary | 3.8 | 2022 |
| 98 | St. Lucia | 3.8 | 2024 |
| 102 | Azerbaijan | 3.7 | 2023 |
| 102 | Ecuador | 3.7 | 2024 |
| 102 | Luxembourg | 3.7 | 2022 |
| 102 | Nepal | 3.7 | 2024 |
| 106 | Barbados | 3.6 | 2024 |
| 106 | Côte d’Ivoire | 3.6 | 2024 |
| 108 | Macao SAR China | 3.5 | 2023 |
| 108 | Malaysia | 3.5 | 2023 |
| 108 | Paraguay | 3.5 | 2024 |
| 108 | St. Kitts & Nevis | 3.5 | 2023 |
| 112 | Greece | 3.4 | 2022 |
| 112 | Palau | 3.4 | 2023 |
| 112 | Serbia | 3.4 | 2023 |
| 115 | Congo - Brazzaville | 3.3 | 2023 |
| 115 | El Salvador | 3.3 | 2024 |
| 115 | Romania | 3.3 | 2022 |
| 118 | Benin | 3.2 | 2023 |
| 118 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3.2 | 2023 |
| 118 | British Virgin Islands | 3.2 | 2023 |
| 118 | Chad | 3.2 | 2023 |
| 118 | Jordan | 3.2 | 2024 |
| 118 | Tanzania | 3.2 | 2024 |
| 118 | Trinidad & Tobago | 3.2 | 2023 |
| 125 | Albania | 3.1 | 2023 |
| 125 | Antigua & Barbuda | 3.1 | 2023 |
| 125 | Guatemala | 3.1 | 2024 |
| 125 | Türkiye | 3.1 | 2022 |
| 129 | Madagascar | 3.0 | 2023 |
| 130 | Ghana | 2.9 | 2022 |
| 130 | Nicaragua | 2.9 | 2023 |
| 130 | San Marino | 2.9 | 2022 |
| 130 | Suriname | 2.9 | 2023 |
| 130 | Turks & Caicos Islands | 2.9 | 2024 |
| 130 | Vietnam | 2.9 | 2022 |
| 136 | Cameroon | 2.8 | 2023 |
| 136 | Congo - Kinshasa | 2.8 | 2022 |
| 136 | Gambia | 2.8 | 2023 |
| 136 | Iran | 2.8 | 2023 |
| 140 | Bahamas | 2.7 | 2023 |
| 140 | Malawi | 2.7 | 2022 |
| 142 | Sierra Leone | 2.6 | 2023 |
| 142 | Uganda | 2.6 | 2022 |
| 144 | Angola | 2.5 | 2023 |
| 144 | Panama | 2.5 | 2023 |
| 144 | Thailand | 2.5 | 2023 |
| 147 | Armenia | 2.4 | 2023 |
| 148 | Comoros | 2.3 | 2023 |
| 148 | Ethiopia | 2.3 | 2024 |
| 148 | Gabon | 2.3 | 2023 |
| 148 | Liberia | 2.3 | 2023 |
| 152 | Cambodia | 2.2 | 2023 |
| 152 | Singapore | 2.2 | 2024 |
| 154 | Bangladesh | 2.0 | 2024 |
| 155 | Andorra | 1.9 | 2023 |
| 155 | Bahrain | 1.9 | 2023 |
| 155 | Bermuda | 1.9 | 2023 |
| 155 | Pakistan | 1.9 | 2023 |
| 159 | Central African Republic | 1.8 | 2023 |
| 159 | Sri Lanka | 1.8 | 2023 |
| 161 | Guinea | 1.7 | 2023 |
| 161 | Monaco | 1.7 | 2023 |
| 163 | Cayman Islands | 1.6 | 2023 |
| 164 | Indonesia | 1.3 | 2023 |
| 165 | Laos | 1.2 | 2023 |
| 165 | Lebanon | 1.2 | 2024 |
| 167 | Haiti | 1.0 | 2023 |
| 168 | Papua New Guinea | 0.8 | 2023 |
| 169 | Zimbabwe | 0.4 | 2023 |
| 170 | Nigeria | 0.3 | 2023 |
No rows match.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators · Licence: CC BY 4.0 · Snapshot 2026-11-09
About this data
Only public money is counted, including foreign aid that passes through the government budget. Tuition and private schools paid by families are not, so countries with large private systems look lower than they spend in total.
Small island states top the list because a school system has fixed costs and their economies are small. UNESCO suggests spending 4% to 6% of GDP on education.
FAQ
Which country spends the most on education?
As a share of GDP, Kiribati, at 16.4% in 2023, followed by Tuvalu (12.8%) and Namibia (9.1%).
How much do governments spend on education worldwide?
3.6% of GDP in 2023.
Which country spends the least on education?
In this list, Nigeria, at 0.3% of GDP.
More data
- 217 rowsWorld population by countryPopulation of 217 countries, ranked, with share of the world.
- 217 rowsPopulation growth rate by countryHow fast each population grew last year, in %.
- 216 rowsPopulation density by countryPeople per km² of land, most crowded first.
- 217 rowsUrban population by countryShare of people who live in cities and towns.
- 217 rowsPopulation aged 0–14 by countryShare of children under 15 in each population.
- 217 rowsPopulation aged 65+ by countryShare of people 65 or older: the oldest countries.
- 214 rowsImmigrant population by countryShare of residents born in another country.
- 217 rowsLife expectancy by countryYears a newborn can expect to live, by country.
- 217 rowsFemale life expectancy by countryYears a newborn girl can expect to live.
- 217 rowsMale life expectancy by countryYears a newborn boy can expect to live.
- 217 rowsFertility rate by countryBirths per woman, from highest to lowest.
- 217 rowsBirth rate by countryBirths per 1,000 people a year.
- 217 rowsDeath rate by countryDeaths per 1,000 people a year.
- 196 rowsInfant mortality by countryDeaths before age one per 1,000 births.
- 194 rowsMaternal mortality by countryMothers' deaths per 100,000 live births.
- 169 rowsDoctors per 1,000 people by countryPhysicians per 1,000 people.
- 191 rowsHealth spending per capita by countryHealth care spending per person, in US dollars.
- 214 rowsGDP by countryNominal GDP in US dollars for every economy, ranked.
- 216 rowsCountries by land areaLand area in km², largest to smallest.
- 249 rowsISO country codesAlpha-2, alpha-3 and numeric codes for 249 countries.
- 50 rowsPaper sizesA4, A3, B5, Letter and more in mm, inches and pixels.