South Korea vs United States: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
South Korea
5.4%
in 2022
United States
5.4%
in 2021
South Korea rank
44th
United States rank
43rd
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education over time
- South Korea
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 5.4% against 5.4% in South Korea, a difference of 0.0%.
Across all 7 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
South Korea ranks 44th and United States ranks 43rd of 199 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.2% | 4.9% | 0.7% | United States |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 5.4% | 0.9% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending on education overall vs. primary education, South Korea or United States?
- United States, at 5.4% against 5.4% in South Korea as of 2021.
- What is the difference in government spending on education overall vs. primary education between South Korea and United States?
- 0.0%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and United States?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2021.
- How do South Korea and United States rank globally for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- South Korea ranks 44th and United States ranks 43rd 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.