Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP in Portugal

Portugal: Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP was 2.2% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
2.2%
Change on year
up 7.0%
World rank
21st
of 152 countries
All-time high
2.5%
in 2009
All-time low
0.3%
in 1973
Years of data
41
1973–2017

Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP in Portugal, 1973–2017

0.511.522.51973199520171973: 0.312 %1974: 0.456 %1975: 0.718 %1976: 0.718 %1978: 0.92 %1979: 0.833 %1980: 0.877 %1981: 0.914 %1982: 0.978 %1983: 0.796 %1984: 0.959 %1985: 1.1 %1986: 0.938 %1987: 0.961 %1988: 0.953 %1989: 1.2 %1990: 1.2 %1991: 1.5 %1992: 1.7 %1993: 1.7 %1994: 1.8 %1995: 2 %1996: 2.1 %1999: 2.2 %2000: 2.2 %2001: 2.3 %2002: 2.2 %2003: 2.2 %2004: 2.1 %2005: 2.1 %2006: 2 %2007: 1.9 %2008: 2 %2009: 2.5 %2010: 2.4 %2011: 2.2 %2012: 2.2 %2013: 2.3 %2014: 2.2 %2015: 2.1 %2017: 2.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2017, government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp in Portugal stood at 2.2%.

The figure is up 7.0% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp in Portugal peaked at 2.5% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1973.

Portugal ranks 21st of 152 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.

Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP (%) in Portugal, 1973 to 2017.
Year % Change
1973 0.3%
1974 0.5% +46.3%
1975 0.7% +57.4%
1976 0.7% -0.1%
1978 0.9% +28.2%
1979 0.8% -9.5%
1980 0.9% +5.3%
1981 0.9% +4.2%
1982 1.0% +7.0%
1983 0.8% -18.6%
1984 1.0% +20.5%
1985 1.1% +10.1%
1986 0.9% -11.2%
1987 1.0% +2.4%
1988 1.0% -0.8%
1989 1.2% +22.8%
1990 1.2% +3.8%
1991 1.5% +26.3%
1992 1.7% +9.9%
1993 1.7% +0.7%
1994 1.8% +6.3%
1995 2.0% +9.0%
1996 2.1% +6.6%
1999 2.2% +4.4%
2000 2.2% +1.3%
2001 2.3% +2.1%
2002 2.2% -2.1%
2003 2.2% -2.4%
2004 2.1% -4.0%
2005 2.1% -0.4%
2006 2.0% -4.1%
2007 1.9% -1.9%
2008 2.0% +1.6%
2009 2.5% +26.3%
2010 2.4% -4.6%
2011 2.2% -6.0%
2012 2.2% -1.3%
2013 2.3% +4.8%
2014 2.2% -6.4%
2015 2.1% -3.9%
2017 2.2% +7.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 0.7% 0.3% 0.9% 6
1980s 1.0% 0.8% 1.2% 10
1990s 1.8% 1.2% 2.2% 8
2000s 2.1% 1.9% 2.5% 10
2010s 2.2% 2.1% 2.4% 7

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 18 Finland 2.3% compare
  2. 19 New Zealand 2.3% compare
  3. 20 Viet Nam 2.2% compare
  4. 22 Norway 2.2% compare
  5. 23 Kenya 2.2% compare
  6. 24 Argentina 2.2% compare

See the full ranking of 152 places →

More reference data data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp in Portugal?
Government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp in Portugal was 2.2% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 2.5% in 2009.
What is the lowest government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1973.
How does Portugal rank for government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp?
Portugal ranks 21st out of 152 countries with data for 2017.
Is government expenditure on secondary education as % of gdp rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-secondary-education-as-percent-of-gdp-percent/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on secondary education as % of GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
152 places, 2,921 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on 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/