Belgium vs Iceland: Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP

Belgium
1.5%
in 2017
Iceland
1.4%
in 2017
Belgium rank
25th
Iceland rank
28th

Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP over time

  • Belgium
  • Iceland
00.511.5197519962017

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 1.5% against 1.4% in Iceland, a difference of 0.1%.

That makes Belgium's figure about 1.1 times Iceland's.

The two have swapped places 7 times across 14 shared years of data; in 1993 it was Iceland ahead.

Belgium ranks 25th and Iceland ranks 28th of 160 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 1 and Iceland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium Iceland Difference Ahead
1990s 0.8% 1.0% 0.1% Iceland
2000s 1.4% 1.4% 0.1% Iceland
2010s 1.4% 1.4% 0.0% Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp, Belgium or Iceland?
Belgium, at 1.5% against 1.4% in Iceland as of 2017.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp between Belgium and Iceland?
0.1%, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Iceland?
14 years are reported by both, from 1993 to 2017.
How do Belgium and Iceland rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp?
Belgium ranks 25th and Iceland ranks 28th of 160 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Belgium vs Iceland: Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-as-percent-of-gdp-percent/belgium/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
160 places, 3,221 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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/