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Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita by country

Total general (local, regional and central, current and capital) initial government funding of education per student, which includes transfers paid (such as scholarships to students), but excludes transfers received, in this case international transfers to government for education (when foreign donors provide...

Countries reporting
122
Highest
49.1%
Cuba
Lowest
3.3%
Monaco
Median
15.5%
Years covered
25
1995–2019
Data points
1,518

What the numbers show

Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita is currently reported for 122 countries. The highest value is 49.1% in Cuba; the lowest is 3.3% in Monaco.

The median across all reporting countries is 15.5%, and the mean is 15.6%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 15.

Over the past decade 71 countries rose and 48 fell. The largest increase was in Zambia (up 169.7%), and the largest decrease in Ghana (down 71.0%).

Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Cuba 49.1% 2010 up 73.5% rising
2 Serbia 43.7% 2015 down 13.0% falling
3 Ukraine 30.3% 2017 up 7.8% falling
4 Cyprus 28.7% 2017 up 22.4% rising
5 Djibouti 25.3% 2016 up 17.6% falling
6 Oman 25.1% 2019 up 90.7% rising
7 Switzerland 24.9% 2017 up 22.4% rising
8 Moldova 24.4% 2018 down 9.7% falling
9 Portugal 24.2% 2017 up 26.1% rising
10 Iceland 23.7% 2017 down 4.4% rising
11 Denmark 23.7% 2017 down 0.7% flat
12 United Kingdom 23.4% 2017 up 12.4% rising
13 Poland 23.3% 2017 down 3.2% rising
14 Thailand 23.3% 2013 up 74.0% rising
15 Austria 23.1% 2017 up 4.1% flat
16 Jamaica 22.7% 2019 up 23.5% rising
17 Israel 22.5% 2017 up 14.1% flat
18 Slovenia 22.3% 2017 down 26.3% falling
19 Lesotho 22.2% 2018 up 3.1% falling
20 Norway 22.1% 2017 up 23.7% falling
21 Sweden 21.7% 2017 down 7.8% flat
22 Latvia 21.5% 2017 up 2.6% rising
23 Costa Rica 21.3% 2019 up 0.2% rising
24 Belgium 21.2% 2017 — falling
25 Vietnam 21.1% 2013 up 17.3% rising
26 Dominica 21.1% 2019 up 55.0% rising
27 Slovakia 20.8% 2017 up 37.3% rising
28 Bulgaria 20.8% 2017 up 1.2% rising
29 Italy 20.6% 2017 down 3.5% falling
30 Brazil 20.4% 2017 up 20.3% rising
31 Finland 20.2% 2017 up 20.5% rising
32 United States 20.2% 2017 — flat
33 Barbados 20.2% 2016 up 3.1% rising
34 New Zealand 19.8% 2017 — rising
35 Morocco 19.5% 2013 up 22.7% rising
36 Estonia 19.1% 2017 up 1.2% rising
37 Australia 18.9% 2017 up 9.4% rising
38 South Africa 18.6% 2019 up 25.4% rising
39 Chile 18.4% 2017 up 64.2% rising
40 Lithuania 18.1% 2017 up 26.9% rising
41 Liechtenstein 17.8% 2011 up 60.3% rising
42 Germany 17.6% 2017 up 15.7% rising
43 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17.5% 2018 down 12.6% flat
44 Belize 17.5% 2018 up 11.4% rising
45 Tunisia 17.4% 2008 up 16.9% rising
46 Singapore 17.4% 2018 up 83.9% rising
47 Hungary 17.2% 2017 down 30.4% falling
48 Malta 17.1% 2017 down 10.3% rising
49 Namibia 17.1% 2010 down 9.7% falling
50 Spain 17.0% 2017 down 10.9% flat
51 Syria 16.9% 2012 up 28.2% rising
52 Colombia 16.8% 2018 up 36.7% rising
53 Cape Verde 16.7% 2017 up 24.8% flat
54 Dominican Republic 16.6% 2019 up 147.0% rising
55 Luxembourg 16.5% 2017 up 7.7% falling
56 Eswatini 16.3% 2014 up 63.6% rising
57 Malaysia 15.9% 2017 up 47.2% rising
58 Togo 15.9% 2016 up 151.5% rising
59 Aruba 15.8% 2014 up 38.7% rising
60 Mauritius 15.8% 2019 up 85.9% rising
61 Maldives 15.7% 2019 down 20.9% rising
62 El Salvador 15.3% 2018 up 46.2% rising
63 Trinidad and Tobago 15.1% 2009 up 45.0% flat
64 Hong Kong 15.0% 2019 up 11.3% rising
65 Argentina 15.0% 2017 up 18.7% rising
66 Czechia 14.9% 2017 up 24.5% rising
67 Kuwait 14.4% 2014 up 1.1% volatile
68 Seychelles 14.2% 2016 down 7.8% rising
69 Burkina Faso 14.1% 2015 down 52.5% falling
70 Senegal 13.7% 2015 up 5.5% rising
71 Uruguay 13.4% 2018 up 56.9% rising
72 Saint Lucia 13.3% 2018 up 20.5% falling
73 Indonesia 13.3% 2015 up 15.6% rising
74 Sierra Leone 13.2% 2019 up 71.4% rising
75 Bhutan 13.2% 2014 up 53.9% rising
76 Mexico 13.1% 2017 down 0.4% rising
77 Vanuatu 13.1% 2015 down 21.4% rising
78 Jordan 13.1% 2019 down 4.8% falling
79 Mongolia 13.1% 2017 down 3.6% rising
80 Guatemala 12.9% 2019 up 23.3% rising
81 Zambia 12.9% 2017 up 169.7% rising
82 Burundi 12.8% 2013 up 21.3% rising
83 Nepal 12.4% 2015 up 11.7% rising
84 Mali 12.2% 2017 up 18.5% falling
85 Andorra 12.1% 2019 down 22.5% rising
86 Paraguay 11.6% 2016 up 63.0% rising
87 Ecuador 11.2% 2018 up 1.0% rising
88 Iran 11.1% 2017 down 30.3% falling
89 Peru 11.0% 2019 up 14.0% rising
90 Kenya 11.0% 2015 down 55.7% falling
91 Ireland 10.4% 2017 down 31.9% rising
92 Afghanistan 10.3% 2017 up 3.5% rising
93 Armenia 10.2% 2017 down 5.9% flat
94 Cote d'Ivoire 9.9% 2018 down 36.1% falling
95 India 9.8% 2013 down 13.7% falling
96 Comoros 9.8% 2014 up 78.0% rising
97 Niger 9.6% 2017 down 17.1% falling
98 Tanzania 9.5% 2014 down 13.1% falling
99 Samoa 9.1% 2016 down 13.5% rising
100 Laos 9.1% 2014 down 6.6% rising
101 Philippines 8.7% 2008 down 30.5% falling
102 Gambia 8.5% 2015 up 164.6% rising
103 British Virgin Islands 8.4% 2018 up 14.5% flat
104 Malawi 8.2% 2016 up 66.5% falling
105 Bermuda 8.1% 2015 down 26.3% falling
106 Romania 8.0% 2017 down 57.4% falling
107 Ethiopia 7.9% 2015 down 12.8% falling
108 Guyana 7.8% 2012 down 57.1% falling
109 Sri Lanka 6.8% 2018 down 5.3% rising
110 Guinea 6.8% 2016 up 70.0% rising
111 Benin 6.7% 2015 down 9.8% flat
112 Chad 6.6% 2018 down 30.4% falling
113 Panama 6.3% 2011 down 39.8% falling
114 Mauritania 6.2% 2019 down 24.0% flat
115 Ghana 5.8% 2014 down 71.0% falling
116 Turks and Caicos Islands 5.7% 2018 down 41.1% falling
117 Madagascar 5.6% 2012 down 41.8% flat
118 Cameroon 5.4% 2012 down 9.6% falling
119 Cambodia 5.3% 2014 up 4.0% falling
120 Uganda 4.8% 2014 down 53.3% falling
121 Rwanda 4.2% 2018 down 39.3% falling
122 Monaco 3.3% 2016 down 5.4% rising

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Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-funding-per-primary-student-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-per-capita/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government funding per primary student as a percentage of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 1,518 data points, 1995–2019
Last refreshed

Total general (local, regional and central, current and capital) initial government funding of education per student, which includes transfers paid (such as scholarships to students), but excludes transfers received, in this case international transfers to government for education (when foreign donors provide education sector budget support or other support integrated in the government budget). Calculation Method: Total general (local, regional and central) government expenditure (current and capital) on a given level of education (primary, secondary, etc) minus international transfers to government for education, divided by the number of student enrolled at that level of education. This is then expressed as a share of GDP per capita. 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. There are also cases where it may not be possible to separate international transfers to government from general government expenditure on education, in which cases they have not been subtracted in the formula. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/