Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United States
United States: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 5.4% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United States, 2015–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United States recorded 5.4% for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in 2021. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
That places United States 43rd out of 199 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United States, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 4.9% | — |
| 2016 | 4.8% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 5.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | +0.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 5.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.2× the median. (72 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 40 Tajikistan 5.4% compare
- 41 Palestine 5.4% compare
- 42 Norway 5.4% compare
- 44 South Korea 5.4% compare
- 45 Dominica 5.4% compare
- 46 Burkina Faso 5.3% compare
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United States?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in United States was 5.4% in 2021, 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2016.
- How does United States rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- United States ranks 43rd out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.