Initial government funding per tertiary 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...
What the numbers show
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita is currently reported for 114 countries. The highest value is 1,142.4% in Malawi; the lowest is 0.0% in Madagascar.
The median across all reporting countries is 26.8%, and the mean is 56.0%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 35,677.
Over the past decade 40 countries rose and 69 fell. The largest increase was in Aruba (up 242.7%), and the largest decrease in Madagascar (down 100.0%).
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi | 1,142.4% | 2011 | down 38.5% | falling |
| 2 | Burundi | 377.0% | 2013 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 3 | Burkina Faso | 298.5% | 2016 | up 48.5% | volatile |
| 4 | Ethiopia | 266.2% | 2014 | down 23.7% | falling |
| 5 | Niger | 189.6% | 2017 | down 55.8% | volatile |
| 6 | Chad | 186.7% | 2011 | down 57.8% | falling |
| 7 | Mali | 164.8% | 2015 | up 44.9% | falling |
| 8 | Senegal | 136.1% | 2018 | up 5.9% | falling |
| 9 | Eswatini | 127.2% | 2014 | down 56.3% | falling |
| 10 | Côte d'Ivoire | 111.0% | 2017 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 11 | Central African Republic | 100.5% | 2011 | down 66.3% | volatile |
| 12 | Rwanda | 96.4% | 2018 | down 48.5% | volatile |
| 13 | Guinea | 89.7% | 2014 | down 69.6% | volatile |
| 14 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 87.6% | 2015 | — | volatile |
| 15 | Aruba | 87.5% | 2016 | up 242.7% | volatile |
| 16 | Namibia | 78.7% | 2014 | down 17.9% | falling |
| 17 | Togo | 76.5% | 2017 | down 44.2% | volatile |
| 18 | Seychelles | 70.8% | 2016 | — | volatile |
| 19 | Mauritania | 68.0% | 2019 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 20 | Pakistan | 67.2% | 2017 | — | flat |
| 21 | Uganda | 66.7% | 2012 | down 61.4% | falling |
| 22 | Gambia | 62.7% | 2012 | down 33.4% | volatile |
| 23 | South Africa | 55.6% | 2019 | up 41.9% | rising |
| 24 | Ghana | 55.1% | 2014 | down 77.9% | falling |
| 25 | Tunisia | 54.7% | 2015 | up 13.7% | falling |
| 26 | Benin | 53.2% | 2015 | down 50.1% | falling |
| 27 | Bhutan | 51.9% | 2014 | down 37.8% | volatile |
| 28 | Syria | 49.4% | 2009 | down 37.7% | falling |
| 29 | India | 49.3% | 2013 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 30 | Lesotho | 47.9% | 2018 | down 95.4% | falling |
| 31 | Denmark | 45.4% | 2017 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 32 | Oman | 43.9% | 2016 | up 215.2% | falling |
| 33 | Sweden | 42.2% | 2017 | up 17.1% | falling |
| 34 | Barbados | 41.8% | 2010 | down 3.5% | falling |
| 35 | Honduras | 40.9% | 2015 | down 6.0% | flat |
| 36 | Malta | 40.5% | 2017 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 37 | Norway | 39.0% | 2017 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 38 | Cuba | 38.8% | 2007 | down 64.0% | falling |
| 39 | United Kingdom | 38.6% | 2017 | up 75.6% | rising |
| 40 | Cape Verde | 38.4% | 2017 | down 48.7% | volatile |
| 41 | Switzerland | 37.8% | 2017 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 42 | Brazil | 36.9% | 2017 | up 27.1% | falling |
| 43 | Jamaica | 36.0% | 2015 | down 38.3% | falling |
| 44 | Estonia | 35.9% | 2016 | up 101.1% | falling |
| 45 | Costa Rica | 35.7% | 2019 | up 18.6% | rising |
| 46 | Austria | 34.9% | 2017 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 47 | Ukraine | 34.5% | 2017 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 48 | Viet Nam | 34.2% | 2013 | down 39.4% | falling |
| 49 | Germany | 33.3% | 2017 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 50 | Hong Kong | 33.2% | 2019 | down 39.3% | falling |
| 51 | Canada | 32.5% | 2017 | down 19.3% | falling |
| 52 | Belgium | 31.9% | 2017 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 53 | Finland | 30.9% | 2017 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 54 | Sri Lanka | 28.3% | 2018 | up 51.8% | rising |
| 55 | Belize | 28.1% | 2018 | up 2.3% | falling |
| 56 | Hungary | 27.6% | 2017 | up 16.6% | falling |
| 57 | Serbia | 27.0% | 2018 | down 28.1% | falling |
| 58 | Poland | 26.7% | 2017 | up 62.4% | rising |
| 59 | Slovakia | 26.4% | 2017 | up 39.3% | falling |
| 60 | Iceland | 26.4% | 2017 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 61 | Romania | 26.3% | 2017 | up 6.8% | falling |
| 62 | Türkiye | 25.7% | 2006 | down 24.8% | falling |
| 63 | New Zealand | 25.5% | 2017 | — | falling |
| 64 | Uruguay | 25.4% | 2017 | up 37.7% | rising |
| 65 | Mexico | 25.4% | 2017 | down 31.6% | falling |
| 66 | Singapore | 25.2% | 2018 | up 11.8% | flat |
| 67 | Iran | 24.9% | 2018 | up 46.5% | falling |
| 68 | Malaysia | 24.8% | 2019 | down 58.3% | falling |
| 69 | Italy | 24.5% | 2017 | up 17.5% | rising |
| 70 | Nepal | 24.2% | 2015 | down 61.9% | volatile |
| 71 | Slovenia | 24.1% | 2017 | up 17.4% | falling |
| 72 | Portugal | 23.2% | 2017 | down 27.6% | flat |
| 73 | Bulgaria | 22.5% | 2017 | up 28.5% | rising |
| 74 | Azerbaijan | 22.3% | 2018 | up 65.7% | rising |
| 75 | Spain | 21.8% | 2017 | down 11.8% | rising |
| 76 | Cyprus | 21.7% | 2017 | down 57.0% | falling |
| 77 | Czechia | 21.6% | 2017 | down 22.6% | falling |
| 78 | Colombia | 21.4% | 2018 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 79 | Croatia | 21.0% | 2017 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 80 | Indonesia | 20.8% | 2015 | down 12.4% | falling |
| 81 | Ireland | 20.8% | 2017 | down 18.3% | falling |
| 82 | Chile | 20.4% | 2017 | up 89.0% | flat |
| 83 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 20.3% | 2014 | down 76.1% | volatile |
| 84 | Macao | 20.1% | 2018 | up 22.6% | falling |
| 85 | Moldova | 20.1% | 2018 | down 34.6% | falling |
| 86 | Bangladesh | 19.9% | 2019 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 87 | Israel | 19.9% | 2017 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 88 | Russia | 19.6% | 2017 | up 48.7% | rising |
| 89 | Tajikistan | 19.6% | 2015 | up 65.4% | rising |
| 90 | Lebanon | 19.5% | 2013 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 91 | Cameroon | 19.4% | 2013 | down 69.9% | falling |
| 92 | Panama | 18.7% | 2012 | down 40.7% | falling |
| 93 | Thailand | 18.2% | 2013 | down 24.2% | falling |
| 94 | Belarus | 17.9% | 2017 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 95 | Australia | 17.8% | 2017 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 96 | Guatemala | 17.7% | 2015 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 97 | Argentina | 16.9% | 2017 | up 18.9% | rising |
| 98 | Andorra | 16.2% | 2019 | down 46.1% | flat |
| 99 | Lithuania | 15.7% | 2017 | up 1.7% | falling |
| 100 | Latvia | 14.8% | 2017 | up 0.6% | falling |
| 101 | Paraguay | 14.3% | 2010 | down 69.5% | falling |
| 102 | Guyana | 13.7% | 2012 | down 62.6% | falling |
| 103 | El Salvador | 11.1% | 2018 | down 32.4% | falling |
| 104 | Peru | 10.8% | 2017 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 105 | Georgia | 10.4% | 2018 | up 3.8% | falling |
| 106 | Philippines | 10.1% | 2009 | down 27.9% | falling |
| 107 | Armenia | 9.9% | 2017 | up 34.1% | rising |
| 108 | Mauritius | 9.6% | 2017 | down 54.6% | volatile |
| 109 | Greece | 8.7% | 2017 | down 53.3% | falling |
| 110 | Kazakhstan | 7.1% | 2018 | down 5.3% | rising |
| 111 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 5.9% | 2015 | — | volatile |
| 112 | Kyrgyzstan | 4.9% | 2017 | down 78.4% | falling |
| 113 | Mongolia | 3.2% | 2017 | down 82.6% | volatile |
| 114 | Madagascar | 0.0% | 2016 | down 100.0% | volatile |
About this data
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/