Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 3.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Trinidad and Tobago, 1980–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Trinidad and Tobago recorded 3.2% for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in 2023.
The figure is up 14.7% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 5.9% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1998.
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 139th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.8% | — |
| 1982 | 5.5% | +44.8% |
| 1983 | 5.8% | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 5.9% | +1.9% |
| 1985 | 5.8% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | -27.2% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | -13.0% |
| 1994 | 3.4% | -6.1% |
| 1995 | 3.6% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 3.2% | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | -26.7% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +13.0% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +11.2% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | +15.6% |
| 2003 | 3.1% | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 4.2% | +34.3% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | -8.6% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | -7.2% |
| 2013 | 3.8% | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 3.6% | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | +23.2% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -21.0% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 4.2% | +18.8% |
| 2021 | 3.0% | -27.9% |
| 2022 | 2.8% | -7.4% |
| 2023 | 3.2% | +14.7% |
Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries
- Trinidad and Tobago's 3.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 73% of the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Trinidad and Tobago's 3.2% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 4.1%, 80% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.1% | 3.8% | 5.9% | 6 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 4 |
| 2010s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More reference data data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0696 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0589 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.165 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0005 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.165 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2333 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0945 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3189 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.7976 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0027 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Trinidad and Tobago 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1984.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1998.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 139th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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.