Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of was 38.6% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
38.6%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
39th
of 115 countries
All-time high
40.7%
in 2014
All-time low
18.7%
in 2009
Years of data
19
1998–2017

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2017

0102030401998200720171998: 27.81999: 22.62000: 20.52001: 20.22002: 25.32003: 24.62004: 24.32005: 28.92006: 25.92007: 222008: 20.22009: 18.72010: 23.52011: 31.12013: 39.82014: 40.72015: 352016: 37.62017: 38.6

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 38.6%, measured in 2017.

The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 75.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 40.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 18.7%, in 2009.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 39th out of 115 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1998 27.8%
1999 22.6% -18.7%
2000 20.5% -9.3%
2001 20.2% -1.3%
2002 25.3% +24.9%
2003 24.6% -2.5%
2004 24.3% -1.5%
2005 28.9% +19.0%
2006 25.9% -10.3%
2007 22.0% -15.1%
2008 20.2% -8.0%
2009 18.7% -7.8%
2010 23.5% +25.9%
2011 31.1% +32.6%
2013 39.8% +27.8%
2014 40.7% +2.4%
2015 35.0% -14.0%
2016 37.6% +7.3%
2017 38.6% +2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.2% 22.6% 27.8% 2
2000s 23.1% 18.7% 28.9% 10
2010s 35.2% 23.5% 40.7% 7

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 36 Malta 40.5% compare
  2. 37 Norway 39.0% compare
  3. 38 Cuba 38.8% compare
  4. 40 Cape Verde 38.4% compare
  5. 41 Switzerland 37.8% compare
  6. 42 Brazil 36.9% compare

See the full ranking of 115 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 38.6% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 40.7% in 2014.
What is the lowest initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 18.7% in 2009.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 39th out of 115 countries with data for 2017.
Is initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 75.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/initial-government-funding-per-tertiary-student-as-a-percentage-of-gdp-per-capita/united-kingdom/

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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/