Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education as % of GDP (%) by country
Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on post-secondary non-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...
What the numbers show
Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education as % of GDP (%) is currently reported for 93 countries. The highest value is 1.0% in Dominica; the lowest is 0.0% in Colombia.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.0%, and the mean is 0.1%.
Over the past decade 31 countries rose and 45 fell. The largest increase was in Madagascar (up 1,029.4%), and the largest decrease in Netherlands (down 100.0%).
Government expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education as %: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dominica | 1.0% | 2019 | up 291.8% | volatile |
| 2 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.9% | 2018 | up 53.7% | rising |
| 3 | Seychelles | 0.5% | 2016 | down 29.4% | falling |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 0.4% | 2014 | up 240.4% | volatile |
| 5 | Namibia | 0.3% | 2014 | up 248.7% | rising |
| 6 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.3% | 2017 | down 28.4% | volatile |
| 7 | Saint Lucia | 0.3% | 2018 | up 77.5% | rising |
| 8 | Vanuatu | 0.3% | 2017 | up 132.8% | volatile |
| 9 | Hungary | 0.3% | 2017 | up 112.4% | rising |
| 10 | Ukraine | 0.3% | 2017 | down 32.0% | falling |
| 11 | Kenya | 0.3% | 2015 | — | volatile |
| 12 | Rwanda | 0.3% | 2018 | up 350.0% | rising |
| 13 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.2% | 2005 | — | rising |
| 14 | Mongolia | 0.2% | 2017 | up 6.3% | falling |
| 15 | Jamaica | 0.2% | 2019 | up 207.2% | volatile |
| 16 | Burkina Faso | 0.2% | 2015 | down 19.5% | volatile |
| 17 | Ethiopia | 0.2% | 2015 | up 96.1% | rising |
| 18 | Singapore | 0.2% | 2018 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 19 | Belarus | 0.2% | 2017 | down 46.0% | falling |
| 20 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 0.2% | 2014 | up 15.6% | rising |
| 21 | Germany | 0.2% | 2017 | up 21.4% | rising |
| 22 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 0.2% | 2018 | up 141.6% | rising |
| 23 | Tajikistan | 0.2% | 2015 | up 7.2% | rising |
| 24 | South Africa | 0.1% | 2019 | up 16.5% | volatile |
| 25 | Barbados | 0.1% | 2012 | down 15.3% | falling |
| 26 | Sierra Leone | 0.1% | 2019 | up 71.3% | flat |
| 27 | New Zealand | 0.1% | 2017 | down 37.3% | falling |
| 28 | Lithuania | 0.1% | 2017 | up 89.1% | rising |
| 29 | Hong Kong | 0.1% | 2019 | down 5.3% | flat |
| 30 | Lesotho | 0.1% | 2018 | down 81.8% | volatile |
| 31 | Mauritius | 0.1% | 2019 | down 21.6% | rising |
| 32 | Australia | 0.1% | 2017 | up 30.1% | flat |
| 33 | Estonia | 0.1% | 2017 | down 52.3% | rising |
| 34 | Madagascar | 0.1% | 2012 | up 1,029.4% | rising |
| 35 | Ireland | 0.1% | 2017 | down 72.9% | rising |
| 36 | Georgia | 0.1% | 2018 | up 58.6% | rising |
| 37 | Italy | 0.1% | 2015 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 38 | Sri Lanka | 0.1% | 2018 | down 28.8% | falling |
| 39 | Afghanistan | 0.1% | 2017 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 40 | Guyana | 0.1% | 2012 | down 28.7% | falling |
| 41 | Latvia | 0.1% | 2017 | up 115.4% | falling |
| 42 | Iceland | 0.1% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 43 | Azerbaijan | 0.1% | 2018 | — | falling |
| 44 | Mauritania | 0.0% | 2013 | up 1,019.3% | volatile |
| 45 | Sweden | 0.0% | 2017 | up 22.3% | rising |
| 46 | Philippines | 0.0% | 2009 | down 24.8% | falling |
| 47 | Morocco | 0.0% | 2008 | up 5.1% | falling |
| 48 | Norway | 0.0% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 49 | Liechtenstein | 0.0% | 2011 | up 157.5% | rising |
| 50 | Slovakia | 0.0% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 51 | Bangladesh | 0.0% | 2019 | up 11.2% | volatile |
| 52 | Romania | 0.0% | 2017 | up 79.4% | volatile |
| 53 | Mali | 0.0% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 54 | Malawi | 0.0% | 2016 | down 43.1% | falling |
| 55 | Cuba | 0.0% | 2010 | down 3.7% | volatile |
| 56 | Eswatini | 0.0% | 2014 | down 78.1% | volatile |
| 57 | Maldives | 0.0% | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 58 | Togo | 0.0% | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 59 | United States | 0.0% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 60 | Austria | 0.0% | 2017 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 61 | Poland | 0.0% | 2017 | down 62.9% | flat |
| 62 | Greece | 0.0% | 2017 | down 77.9% | volatile |
| 63 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 0.0% | 2014 | down 94.9% | volatile |
| 64 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 0.0% | 2009 | — | volatile |
| 65 | Israel | 0.0% | 2017 | down 42.8% | falling |
| 66 | Andorra | 0.0% | 2019 | down 76.0% | volatile |
| 67 | Bulgaria | 0.0% | 2017 | up 104.5% | volatile |
| 68 | Comoros | 0.0% | 2015 | down 96.4% | volatile |
| 69 | India | 0.0% | 2013 | down 79.9% | falling |
| 70 | Malta | 0.0% | 2017 | down 85.4% | volatile |
| 71 | Niger | 0.0% | 2017 | — | volatile |
| 72 | Czechia | 0.0% | 2017 | down 89.4% | volatile |
| 73 | Panama | 0.0% | 2011 | down 54.4% | volatile |
| 74 | Luxembourg | 0.0% | 2017 | down 23.2% | falling |
| 75 | Gabon | 0.0% | 2014 | — | volatile |
| 76 | Peru | 0.0% | 2011 | down 72.4% | volatile |
| 77 | Moldova | 0.0% | 2018 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 78 | Malaysia | 0.0% | 2013 | down 98.7% | volatile |
| 79 | Netherlands | 0.0% | 2017 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Cape Verde | 0.0% | 2017 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Ghana | 0.0% | 2014 | — | volatile |
| 79 | Kazakhstan | 0.0% | 2016 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | British Virgin Islands | 0.0% | 2015 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Benin | 0.0% | 2015 | — | volatile |
| 79 | Belize | 0.0% | 2015 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Senegal | 0.0% | 2018 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0.0% | 2018 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Syria | 0.0% | 2007 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Bhutan | 0.0% | 2015 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Denmark | 0.0% | 2011 | — | volatile |
| 79 | Russia | 0.0% | 2008 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Switzerland | 0.0% | 2011 | down 100.0% | falling |
| 79 | Colombia | 0.0% | 2018 | — | volatile |
About this data
Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on post-secondary non-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/