Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France
France: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.3% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France, 1970–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
France recorded 5.3% for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in 2022.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France peaked at 5.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1971.
That places France 47th out of 199 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.5% | — |
| 1971 | 3.2% | -7.4% |
| 1972 | 3.4% | +5.7% |
| 1973 | 3.3% | -4.0% |
| 1974 | 4.3% | +31.4% |
| 1975 | 4.5% | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 4.5% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 4.5% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 4.4% | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 4.3% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 4.3% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 4.8% | +9.9% |
| 1982 | 4.9% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 4.9% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4.9% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 4.9% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 4.7% | -3.2% |
| 1987 | 4.7% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 4.6% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 4.5% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 4.6% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 4.9% | +7.1% |
| 1992 | 4.8% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 5.5% | +14.4% |
| 1994 | 5.7% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 5.8% | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 5.7% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 5.4% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 5.7% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | -1.7% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 5.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- France's 5.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.5%, 1.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +31.4% | 3.3% | 4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.0% | 3.2% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 4.3% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 4.6% | 5.8% | 8 |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near France
- 44 South Korea 5.4% compare
- 45 Dominica 5.4% compare
- 46 Burkina Faso 5.3% compare
- 48 Costa Rica 5.3% compare
- 49 Tonga 5.3% compare
- 50 Slovenia 5.3% compare
More reference data data for France
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 18.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 11.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 106.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in France was 5.3% in 2022, 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 5.8% in 1995.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1971.
- How does France rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- France ranks 47th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France 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.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.