Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria
Syria: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.1% in 2009. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria, 1972–2009
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2009, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria stood at 5.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.6% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria peaked at 6.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 1972.
That places Syria 61st out of 199 countries with data for 2009, 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 Syria, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 3.6% | — |
| 1973 | 3.7% | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 3.9% | +6.6% |
| 1976 | 5.8% | +48.2% |
| 1977 | 5.7% | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 5.5% | -3.5% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | -9.9% |
| 1980 | 4.6% | -7.9% |
| 1981 | 5.4% | +17.7% |
| 1982 | 5.9% | +9.5% |
| 1984 | 6.1% | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 6.1% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 5.6% | -7.4% |
| 1987 | 4.6% | -18.9% |
| 1988 | 3.6% | -20.7% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | +11.6% |
| 1996 | 3.7% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 4.5% | +22.9% |
| 2002 | 5.3% | +15.9% |
| 2003 | 6.5% | +23.0% |
| 2004 | 5.4% | -17.1% |
| 2006 | 5.3% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | -7.9% |
| 2008 | 4.6% | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | +11.6% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 5.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.8%, 1.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Syria's 5.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.7% | 3.6% | 5.8% | 7 |
| 1980s | 5.1% | 3.6% | 6.1% | 9 |
| 1990s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 4.5% | 6.5% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Syria
More reference data data for Syria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1191 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5377 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3995 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1542 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 16.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 29.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.93 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Syria was 5.1% in 2009, 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 Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 1972.
- How does Syria rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Syria ranks 61st out of 199 countries with data for 2009.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Syria 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.