Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand
New Zealand: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand, 1973–2023
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 New Zealand is 5.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand peaked at 6.6% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 1986.
New Zealand ranks 55th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 4.8% | — |
| 1974 | 4.7% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 5.2% | +8.9% |
| 1976 | 5.5% | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 4.5% | -18.4% |
| 1978 | 4.5% | +1.8% |
| 1979 | 4.5% | -1.4% |
| 1980 | 4.2% | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 4.4% | +4.9% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 4.0% | -10.7% |
| 1985 | 3.5% | -12.3% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 3.9% | +14.2% |
| 1988 | 4.4% | +13.0% |
| 1989 | 4.8% | +8.9% |
| 1994 | 5.9% | +23.0% |
| 1995 | 5.7% | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 6.4% | +11.2% |
| 1997 | 6.2% | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 6.6% | +7.8% |
| 2000 | 5.6% | -15.5% |
| 2013 | 5.9% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 5.7% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 5.5% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 5.3% | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 5.2% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.6% | +9.1% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 5.2% | -6.7% |
| 2023 | 5.2% | +0.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 5.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 5.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.2%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.8% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 7 |
| 1980s | 4.2% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.2% | 5.7% | 6.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in New Zealand was 5.2% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1999.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 1986.
- How does New Zealand rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- New Zealand ranks 55th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.