Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland

Switzerland: Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of was 37.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
37.8%
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
41st
of 115 countries
All-time high
59.0%
in 2003
All-time low
37.3%
in 2016
Years of data
20
1998–2017

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland, 1998–2017

02040601998200720171998: 46.31999: 49.82000: 48.82001: 50.72002: 55.12003: 592004: 57.42005: 50.32006: 48.22007: 42.32008: 39.82009: 422010: 39.22011: 39.72012: 41.62013: 40.52014: 412015: 37.72016: 37.32017: 37.8

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2017, initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland stood at 37.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland peaked at 59.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 37.3%, in 2016.

That places Switzerland 41st out of 115 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita in Switzerland, 1998 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1998 46.3%
1999 49.8% +7.6%
2000 48.8% -2.1%
2001 50.7% +3.9%
2002 55.1% +8.7%
2003 59.0% +7.1%
2004 57.4% -2.8%
2005 50.3% -12.3%
2006 48.2% -4.3%
2007 42.3% -12.2%
2008 39.8% -5.8%
2009 42.0% +5.6%
2010 39.2% -6.7%
2011 39.7% +1.1%
2012 41.6% +4.9%
2013 40.5% -2.6%
2014 41.0% +1.1%
2015 37.7% -8.1%
2016 37.3% -0.9%
2017 37.8% +1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 48.1% 46.3% 49.8% 2
2000s 49.4% 39.8% 59.0% 10
2010s 39.4% 37.3% 41.6% 8

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 38 Cuba 38.8% compare
  2. 39 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 38.6% compare
  3. 40 Cape Verde 38.4% compare
  4. 42 Brazil 36.9% compare
  5. 43 Jamaica 36.0% compare
  6. 44 Estonia 35.9% compare

See the full ranking of 115 places →

More reference data data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland?
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland was 37.8% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 59.0% in 2003.
What is the lowest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 37.3% in 2016.
How does Switzerland rank for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of?
Switzerland ranks 41st out of 115 countries with data for 2017.
Is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-funding-per-tertiary-student-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-per-capita/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
115 places, 1,387 data points, 1970–2019
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/