Government expenditure on lower secondary education as a percentage of GDP (%) by country
Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on lower secondary 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...
What the numbers show
Government expenditure on lower secondary education as a percentage of GDP (%) is currently reported for 98 countries. The highest value is 2.0% in Belize; the lowest is 0.0% in Namibia.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.7%, and the mean is 0.8%.
Over the past decade 48 countries rose and 45 fell. The largest increase was in Cambodia (up 289.1%), and the largest decrease in Namibia (down 100.0%).
Government expenditure on lower secondary education as a percentage: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belize | 2.0% | 2018 | up 25.8% | rising |
| 2 | Oman | 1.9% | 2019 | up 119.6% | rising |
| 3 | Cuba | 1.9% | 2010 | up 33.5% | rising |
| 4 | Eswatini | 1.8% | 2011 | up 12.1% | rising |
| 5 | Kazakhstan | 1.6% | 2018 | up 1.9% | flat |
| 6 | Syria | 1.4% | 2015 | up 31.6% | rising |
| 7 | Moldova | 1.4% | 2018 | down 29.8% | falling |
| 8 | Vietnam | 1.3% | 2013 | up 12.9% | rising |
| 9 | Brazil | 1.3% | 2017 | down 11.4% | rising |
| 10 | Costa Rica | 1.3% | 2019 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 11 | Argentina | 1.3% | 2017 | up 19.6% | rising |
| 12 | Ukraine | 1.3% | 2017 | up 4.0% | falling |
| 13 | Colombia | 1.2% | 2018 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 14 | Jamaica | 1.2% | 2019 | down 13.0% | flat |
| 15 | Vanuatu | 1.2% | 2015 | down 47.5% | falling |
| 16 | Morocco | 1.2% | 2009 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 17 | Austria | 1.2% | 2017 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 18 | Germany | 1.2% | 2017 | up 0.5% | falling |
| 19 | New Zealand | 1.1% | 2017 | — | falling |
| 20 | Portugal | 1.1% | 2017 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 21 | Cyprus | 1.1% | 2017 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 22 | Finland | 1.1% | 2017 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 23 | Australia | 1.0% | 2017 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 24 | Iceland | 1.0% | 2017 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 25 | Malawi | 1.0% | 2016 | up 61.7% | rising |
| 26 | Denmark | 1.0% | 2017 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 27 | Lithuania | 1.0% | 2017 | down 37.4% | falling |
| 28 | Cameroon | 1.0% | 2013 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 29 | Czechia | 0.9% | 2017 | up 5.2% | falling |
| 30 | Jordan | 0.9% | 2019 | down 26.4% | falling |
| 31 | Sweden | 0.9% | 2017 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 32 | Sierra Leone | 0.9% | 2019 | up 54.8% | rising |
| 33 | Dominica | 0.9% | 2019 | up 27.2% | volatile |
| 34 | Slovakia | 0.9% | 2017 | up 24.9% | falling |
| 35 | Switzerland | 0.9% | 2017 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 36 | Belgium | 0.9% | 2017 | — | flat |
| 37 | Uruguay | 0.9% | 2018 | up 53.4% | rising |
| 38 | United Kingdom | 0.9% | 2017 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 39 | United States | 0.8% | 2017 | — | flat |
| 40 | Kuwait | 0.8% | 2014 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 41 | Norway | 0.8% | 2017 | up 7.4% | falling |
| 42 | Bulgaria | 0.8% | 2017 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 43 | Mexico | 0.8% | 2017 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 44 | Malta | 0.8% | 2017 | down 60.6% | falling |
| 45 | Mongolia | 0.8% | 2017 | down 31.6% | falling |
| 46 | Saint Lucia | 0.8% | 2018 | down 17.4% | rising |
| 47 | Thailand | 0.8% | 2013 | up 92.4% | rising |
| 48 | El Salvador | 0.8% | 2018 | up 23.8% | rising |
| 49 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.8% | 2018 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 50 | Luxembourg | 0.7% | 2017 | up 4.2% | falling |
| 51 | Rwanda | 0.7% | 2018 | up 42.4% | rising |
| 52 | Spain | 0.7% | 2017 | down 27.5% | falling |
| 53 | Slovenia | 0.7% | 2017 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 54 | Iran | 0.7% | 2018 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 55 | Armenia | 0.7% | 2017 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 56 | Maldives | 0.7% | 2019 | down 40.7% | falling |
| 57 | Ghana | 0.7% | 2014 | down 62.0% | falling |
| 58 | Liechtenstein | 0.7% | 2008 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 59 | Italy | 0.7% | 2017 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 60 | Japan | 0.7% | 2017 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 61 | Hungary | 0.7% | 2017 | down 37.5% | falling |
| 62 | Nepal | 0.6% | 2015 | up 50.5% | rising |
| 63 | Poland | 0.6% | 2017 | down 25.4% | falling |
| 64 | Estonia | 0.6% | 2017 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 65 | Latvia | 0.6% | 2017 | down 22.5% | falling |
| 66 | Romania | 0.6% | 2017 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 67 | Afghanistan | 0.6% | 2017 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 68 | Ethiopia | 0.6% | 2015 | down 2.1% | falling |
| 68 | Laos | 0.6% | 2014 | up 168.5% | rising |
| 70 | Philippines | 0.6% | 2009 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 71 | Burkina Faso | 0.6% | 2016 | up 34.9% | rising |
| 72 | Dominican Republic | 0.6% | 2019 | up 63.9% | rising |
| 73 | Chile | 0.6% | 2017 | up 32.8% | rising |
| 74 | Cambodia | 0.5% | 2014 | up 289.1% | rising |
| 75 | Gabon | 0.5% | 2014 | — | falling |
| 76 | India | 0.5% | 2013 | up 14.0% | falling |
| 77 | Andorra | 0.5% | 2019 | up 40.8% | rising |
| 78 | Sri Lanka | 0.5% | 2018 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 79 | Indonesia | 0.5% | 2015 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 80 | Kenya | 0.5% | 2015 | down 37.5% | falling |
| 81 | Paraguay | 0.5% | 2016 | up 37.8% | falling |
| 82 | Ireland | 0.5% | 2017 | down 39.3% | falling |
| 83 | Ecuador | 0.5% | 2018 | up 54.8% | rising |
| 84 | Comoros | 0.5% | 2015 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 85 | Gambia | 0.4% | 2015 | up 188.5% | rising |
| 86 | Togo | 0.4% | 2016 | down 60.8% | falling |
| 87 | Niger | 0.4% | 2017 | down 26.2% | rising |
| 88 | Madagascar | 0.3% | 2012 | up 19.6% | rising |
| 89 | Uganda | 0.3% | 2014 | — | falling |
| 90 | Guatemala | 0.3% | 2019 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 91 | Bermuda | 0.3% | 2017 | down 37.0% | falling |
| 92 | Guinea | 0.3% | 2018 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 93 | Mali | 0.2% | 2017 | down 59.9% | falling |
| 94 | Senegal | 0.2% | 2018 | down 79.3% | volatile |
| 95 | Monaco | 0.2% | 2016 | down 24.2% | falling |
| 96 | Chad | 0.1% | 2018 | down 66.1% | falling |
| 97 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0.0% | 2018 | down 98.0% | volatile |
| 98 | Namibia | 0.0% | 2017 | down 100.0% | volatile |
About this data
Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on lower secondary 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/