Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ was 39,056 millions in 2017. β—† Volatile

Latest (2017)
39,056 millions
Change on year
down 4.1%
World rank
4th
of 158 countries
All-time high
40,710 millions
in 2016
All-time low
1,562 millions
in 1971
Years of data
42
1971–2017

Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United Kingdom, 1971–2017

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k1971199420171971: 1.6k millions1972: 1.9k millions1973: 2.3k millions1974: 2.4k millions1975: 2.8k millions1976: 3.2k millions1977: 3.0k millions1980: 5.0k millions1981: 6.9k millions1982: 6.4k millions1983: 5.9k millions1984: 5.3k millions1985: 4.8k millions1986: 4.5k millions1987: 5.5k millions1988: 6.4k millions1989: 7.5k millions1990: 7.7k millions1991: 9.3k millions1992: 10.8k millions1994: 11.9k millions1995: 13.0k millions1996: 14.0k millions1998: 14.4k millions1999: 13.3k millions2000: 11.9k millions2001: 11.8k millions2002: 15.7k millions2003: 16.9k millions2004: 18.8k millions2005: 26.6k millions2006: 25.4k millions2007: 23.2k millions2008: 23.8k millions2009: 21.3k millions2010: 22.5k millions2011: 30.6k millions2013: 35.8k millions2014: 37.9k millions2015: 38.8k millions2016: 40.7k millions2017: 39.1k millions

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in United Kingdom is 39,056 millions, measured in 2017.

That represents a change of down 4.1% on the previous year and up 68.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in United Kingdom peaked at 40,710 millions in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1,562 millions, in 1971.

United Kingdom ranks 4th of 158 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2,460 millions 1,562 millions 3,221 millions 7
1980s 5,817 millions 4,520 millions 7,538 millions 10
1990s 11,792 millions 7,685 millions 14,411 millions 8
2000s 19,547 millions 11,772 millions 26,611 millions 10
2010s 35,077 millions 22,543 millions 40,710 millions 7

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 1 Ecuador 1.27 billion millions compare
  2. 2 United States 272,161 millions compare
  3. 3 Germany 45,884 millions compare
  4. 5 France 31,828 millions compare
  5. 6 Brazil 31,366 millions compare
  6. 7 Japan 31,329 millions compare

See the full ranking of 158 places β†’

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in United Kingdom?
Government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ in United Kingdom was 39,056 millions in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 40,710 millions in 2016.
What is the lowest government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1,562 millions in 1971.
How does United Kingdom rank for government expenditure on tertiary education, us$?
United Kingdom ranks 4th out of 158 countries with data for 2017.
Is government expenditure on tertiary education, us$ rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 68.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-tertiary-education-us-millions/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on tertiary education, US$ (millions)
Unit
millions
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
158 places, 3,257 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure on tertiary education (current, capital, and transfers) in millions US$ (nominal value). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. Total government expenditure for a given level of education (e.g. primary, secondary, or all levels combined) in national currency is converted to US$. Limitations: In some instances data on total government 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/