Belgium vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP

Belgium
1.5%
in 2017
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1.4%
in 2017
Belgium rank
25th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
26th

Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP over time

  • Belgium
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
00.511.5197119942017

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 1.5% against 1.4% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 22 shared years of data; in 1975 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Belgium ranks 25th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 26th of 160 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1970s 0.9% 1.3% 0.4% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1980s 0.9% 1.0% 0.1% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 0.8% 1.1% 0.3% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2000s 1.4% 0.9% 0.5% Belgium
2010s 1.4% 1.3% 0.2% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Belgium, at 1.5% against 1.4% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2017.
What is the difference in government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp between Belgium and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.1%, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
22 years are reported by both, from 1975 to 2017.
How do Belgium and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for government expenditure on tertiary education as % of gdp?
Belgium ranks 25th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 26th 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government expenditure on tertiary education as % of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-as-percent-of-gdp-percent/belgium/united-kingdom/

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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/