Bhutan vs United Kingdom: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
Bhutan
5.8%
in 2023
United Kingdom
5.9%
in 2021
Bhutan rank
33rd
United Kingdom rank
32nd
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education over time
- Bhutan
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 5.9% against 5.8% in Bhutan, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 20 shared years of data; in 1971 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Bhutan ranks 33rd and United Kingdom ranks 32nd of 199 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Bhutan averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bhutan | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.2% | 5.5% | 3.3% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 4.6% | 0.9% | Bhutan |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 0.0% | Bhutan |
| 2020s | 6.0% | 5.7% | 0.4% | Bhutan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending on education overall vs. primary education, Bhutan or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 5.9% against 5.8% in Bhutan as of 2021.
- What is the difference in government spending on education overall vs. primary education between Bhutan and United Kingdom?
- 0.1%, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bhutan and United Kingdom?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2021.
- How do Bhutan and United Kingdom rank globally for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Bhutan ranks 33rd and United Kingdom ranks 32nd of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.