Norway vs United States: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education

Norway
5.4%
in 2022
United States
5.4%
in 2021
Norway rank
42nd
United States rank
43rd

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education over time

  • Norway
  • United States
02468197219972022

How they compare

Norway currently reports 5.4% against 5.4% in United States, a difference of 0.0%.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Norway has been ahead every year.

Norway ranks 42nd and United States ranks 43rd of 199 countries.

Norway has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Norway United States Difference Ahead
2010s 7.8% 4.9% 2.8% Norway
2020s 7.7% 5.4% 2.3% Norway

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government spending on education overall vs. primary education, Norway or United States?
Norway, at 5.4% against 5.4% in United States as of 2022.
What is the difference in government spending on education overall vs. primary education between Norway and United States?
0.0%, with Norway ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and United States?
7 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2021.
How do Norway and United States rank globally for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
Norway ranks 42nd 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

Indicator
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
Unit
% of GDP
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
199 places, 5,140 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.