Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin
Benin: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 3.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin is 3.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin peaked at 3.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 1999.
That places Benin 141st out of 199 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2.7% | — |
| 1999 | 1.9% | -30.1% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | +10.0% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | +11.9% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -8.7% |
| 2003 | 2.3% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | +12.4% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | +3.5% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | -7.8% |
| 2008 | 2.8% | +17.5% |
| 2009 | 3.1% | +11.2% |
| 2010 | 3.7% | +19.1% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 3.2% | -5.0% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | -8.6% |
| 2017 | 3.5% | +22.0% |
| 2018 | 2.9% | -17.1% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -6.8% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | +6.1% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | +6.8% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | +4.3% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 3.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 80% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 3.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.2%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 9 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More reference data data for Benin
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1979 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1562 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6635 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5244 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8505 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Benin was 3.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2010.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 1999.
- How does Benin rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Benin ranks 141st out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.