Education Expenditure (% of GDP) 2014
Education expenditure measures the percentage of GDP spent on education. Compare countries and explore interactive rankings and trends.
Interactive Map
Complete Data Rankings
Rank | ||
|---|---|---|
1 |  Aruba | 6 % of GDP |
2 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 2.4 % of GDP |
3 |  United Arab Emirates | NaN % of GDP |
4 |  Afghanistan | NaN % of GDP |
5 |  Cuba | 12.8 % of GDP |
6 |  Botswana | 9.5 % of GDP |
7 |  Comoros | 7.6 % of GDP |
8 |  Solomon Islands | 7.3 % of GDP |
9 |  Cyprus | 7.3 % of GDP |
10 |  Bolivia | 6.9 % of GDP |
11 |  Belgium | 6.6 % of GDP |
12 |  Belize | 6.6 % of GDP |
13 |  Argentina | 6.3 % of GDP |
14 |  Costa Rica | 6.3 % of GDP |
15 |  Congo | 6.2 % of GDP |
16 |  Austria | 5.9 % of GDP |
17 |  Brazil | 5.8 % of GDP |
18 |  Burundi | 5.8 % of GDP |
19 |  Australia | 5.6 % of GDP |
20 |  Barbados | 5.6 % of GDP |
21 |  Canada | 5.4 % of GDP |
22 |  Benin | 5.3 % of GDP |
23 |  Belarus | 5.1 % of GDP |
24 |  Cabo Verde | 5 % of GDP |
25 |  Chile | 4.5 % of GDP |
26 |  Colombia | 4.4 % of GDP |
27 |  Algeria | 4.3 % of GDP |
28 |  Angola | 3.5 % of GDP |
29 |  Albania | 3.3 % of GDP |
30 |  Bahrain | 2.6 % of GDP |
31 |  Azerbaijan | 2.4 % of GDP |
32 |  Andorra | NaN % of GDP |
33 |  Bhutan | 4.7 % of GDP |
34 |  Bulgaria | 4.1 % of GDP |
35 |  Brunei Darussalam | 3.5 % of GDP |
36 |  Anguilla | 2.8 % of GDP |
37 |  Bermuda | 2.6 % of GDP |
38 |  Bahamas | NaN % of GDP |
39 |  Chad | 2.3 % of GDP |
40 |  Bangladesh | 2.2 % of GDP |
41 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | NaN % of GDP |
42 |  Cameroon | 3.2 % of GDP |
43 |  Cook Islands | 3.1 % of GDP |
44 |  Cambodia | 2.6 % of GDP |
45 |  Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 2.5 % of GDP |
46 |  Sri Lanka | 1.7 % of GDP |
47 |  Myanmar | 0.8 % of GDP |
48 |  China | NaN % of GDP |
49 |  Cayman Islands | NaN % of GDP |
50 |  Kiribati | 12 % of GDP |
51 |  Denmark | 8.7 % of GDP |
52 |  Djibouti | 8.4 % of GDP |
53 |  Ghana | 8.1 % of GDP |
54 |  Iceland | 7.6 % of GDP |
55 |  Finland | 6.8 % of GDP |
56 |  Kyrgyzstan | 6.8 % of GDP |
57 |  Kenya | 6.7 % of GDP |
58 |  Ireland | 6.4 % of GDP |
59 |  Jamaica | 6.1 % of GDP |
60 |  France | 5.9 % of GDP |
61 |  Estonia | 5.7 % of GDP |
62 |  Israel | 5.6 % of GDP |
63 |  Germany | 5.1 % of GDP |
64 |  South Korea | 5 % of GDP |
65 |  Hungary | 4.9 % of GDP |
66 |  Ethiopia | 4.7 % of GDP |
67 |  Côte d'Ivoire | 4.6 % of GDP |
68 |  Italy | 4.5 % of GDP |
69 |  Ecuador | 4.4 % of GDP |
70 |  Croatia | 4.3 % of GDP |
71 |  Czech Republic | 4.2 % of GDP |
72 |  Fiji | 4.2 % of GDP |
73 |  Gambia | 4.1 % of GDP |
74 |  Greece | 4.1 % of GDP |
75 |  Grenada | 3.9 % of GDP |
76 |  Egypt | 3.8 % of GDP |
77 |  Japan | 3.8 % of GDP |
78 |  Kuwait | 3.8 % of GDP |
79 |  Iran | 3.7 % of GDP |
80 |  Dominica | 3.5 % of GDP |
81 |  El Salvador | 3.4 % of GDP |
82 |  Guyana | 3.2 % of GDP |
83 |  India | 3.2 % of GDP |
84 |  Kazakhstan | 3.1 % of GDP |
85 |  Guatemala | 3 % of GDP |
86 |  Indonesia | 2.8 % of GDP |
87 |  Laos | 2.8 % of GDP |
88 |  Guinea | 2.5 % of GDP |
89 |  Dominican Republic | 2.2 % of GDP |
90 |  Eritrea | 2.1 % of GDP |
91 |  Georgia | 2 % of GDP |
92 |  Central African Republic | 1.2 % of GDP |
93 |  Equatorial Guinea | 0.6 % of GDP |
94 |  Gabon | NaN % of GDP |
95 |  Gibraltar | NaN % of GDP |
96 |  Haiti | NaN % of GDP |
97 |  Honduras | NaN % of GDP |
98 |  Iraq | NaN % of GDP |
99 |  Jordan | NaN % of GDP |
100 |  North Korea | NaN % of GDP |
101 |  Lesotho | 13 % of GDP |
102 |  Republic of Moldova | 8.4 % of GDP |
103 |  New Zealand | 7.4 % of GDP |
104 |  Malta | 6.9 % of GDP |
105 |  Norway | 6.9 % of GDP |
106 |  Maldives | 6.8 % of GDP |
107 |  Malaysia | 5.9 % of GDP |
108 |  Netherlands | 5.9 % of GDP |
109 |  Portugal | 5.6 % of GDP |
110 |  Mongolia | 5.5 % of GDP |
111 |  Lithuania | 5.4 % of GDP |
112 |  Malawi | 5.4 % of GDP |
113 |  Morocco | 5.4 % of GDP |
114 |  Poland | 5.2 % of GDP |
115 |  Mexico | 5.1 % of GDP |
116 |  Latvia | 5 % of GDP |
117 |  Mozambique | 5 % of GDP |
118 |  Vanuatu | 5 % of GDP |
119 |  Mali | 4.8 % of GDP |
120 |  Paraguay | 4.8 % of GDP |
121 |  Serbia | 4.8 % of GDP |
122 |  Nepal | 4.7 % of GDP |
123 |  Nicaragua | 4.6 % of GDP |
124 |  Oman | 4.3 % of GDP |
125 |  Slovakia | 4.2 % of GDP |
126 |  Niger | 4.2 % of GDP |
127 |  Romania | 4.2 % of GDP |
128 |  Russia | 4.1 % of GDP |
129 |  Luxembourg | 3.7 % of GDP |
130 |  Mauritania | 3.7 % of GDP |
131 |  Mauritius | 3.5 % of GDP |
132 |  Panama | 3.5 % of GDP |
133 |  Liberia | 2.8 % of GDP |
134 |  Peru | 2.8 % of GDP |
135 |  Madagascar | 2.7 % of GDP |
136 |  Philippines | 2.7 % of GDP |
137 |  Qatar | 2.5 % of GDP |
138 |  Lebanon | 2.2 % of GDP |
139 |  Liechtenstein | 2.1 % of GDP |
140 |  Libya | NaN % of GDP |
141 |  Montenegro | NaN % of GDP |
142 |  Monaco | 1.6 % of GDP |
143 |  Niue | NaN % of GDP |
144 |  Nigeria | NaN % of GDP |
145 |  Nauru | NaN % of GDP |
146 |  Suriname | NaN % of GDP |
147 |  Pakistan | 2.1 % of GDP |
148 |  Papua New Guinea | NaN % of GDP |
149 |  Guinea-Bissau | NaN % of GDP |
150 |  Puerto Rico | NaN % of GDP |
151 |  Sao Tome and Principe | 9.5 % of GDP |
152 |  Timor-Leste | 9.4 % of GDP |
153 |  Namibia | 8.4 % of GDP |
154 |  Eswatini | 8.3 % of GDP |
155 |  Sweden | 7 % of GDP |
156 |  Venezuela | 6.9 % of GDP |
157 |  Vietnam | 6.3 % of GDP |
158 |  Tunisia | 6.2 % of GDP |
159 |  Tanzania | 6.2 % of GDP |
160 |  Ukraine | 6.2 % of GDP |
161 |  United Kingdom | 6.2 % of GDP |
162 |  South Africa | 6 % of GDP |
163 |  Thailand | 5.8 % of GDP |
164 |  Samoa | 5.8 % of GDP |
165 |  Slovenia | 5.7 % of GDP |
166 |  Senegal | 5.6 % of GDP |
167 |  United States | 5.4 % of GDP |
168 |  Switzerland | 5.2 % of GDP |
169 |  Yemen | 5.2 % of GDP |
170 |  Rwanda | 5.1 % of GDP |
171 |  Saudi Arabia | 5.1 % of GDP |
172 |  Syrian Arab Republic | 5.1 % of GDP |
173 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 5.1 % of GDP |
174 |  Spain | 5 % of GDP |
175 |  Togo | 4.5 % of GDP |
176 |  Uruguay | 4.5 % of GDP |
177 |  British Virgin Islands | 4.4 % of GDP |
178 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4.2 % of GDP |
179 |  Saint Lucia | 4.1 % of GDP |
180 |  Tajikistan | 3.9 % of GDP |
181 |  Tonga | 3.9 % of GDP |
182 |  Seychelles | 3.6 % of GDP |
183 |  Burkina Faso | 3.4 % of GDP |
184 |  Uganda | 3.3 % of GDP |
185 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 3.2 % of GDP |
186 |  Singapore | 3 % of GDP |
187 |  Sierra Leone | 2.9 % of GDP |
188 |  San Marino | NaN % of GDP |
189 |  Somalia | NaN % of GDP |
190 |  Turks and Caicos Islands | NaN % of GDP |
191 |  Tokelau | NaN % of GDP |
192 |  Turkey | 2.9 % of GDP |
193 |  Tuvalu | NaN % of GDP |
194 |  Turkmenistan | NaN % of GDP |
195 |  Uzbekistan | NaN % of GDP |
196 |  Holy See | NaN % of GDP |
197 |  Zimbabwe | 2.5 % of GDP |
198 |  Zambia | 1.3 % of GDP |
- #1Aruba
- #2Antigua and Barbuda
- #3United Arab Emirates
- #4Afghanistan
- #5Cuba
- #6Botswana
- #7Comoros
- #8Solomon Islands
- #9Cyprus
- #10Bolivia
Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.
- #198Zambia
- #197Zimbabwe
- #196Holy See
- #195Uzbekistan
- #194Turkmenistan
- #193Tuvalu
- #192Turkey
- #191Tokelau
- #190Turks and Caicos Islands
- #189Somalia
Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.
Analysis & Context
In 2014, Lesotho led the world in Education Expenditure (% of GDP) with a remarkable 13%, while the global range spanned from 0.6% in Equatorial Guinea to Lesotho's high. The global average for this metric was 4.83%, providing a benchmark for comparing national education investments.
Global Leaders in Education Investment
The top ten countries investing the highest percentage of their GDP in education present a diverse mix, with Lesotho at the forefront at 13%, followed closely by Cuba at 12.8% and Kiribati at 12%. Such substantial investment levels often reflect national priorities toward education, potentially driven by strategic policy choices. In Lesotho, significant educational funding could be attributed to efforts to improve literacy rates and educational access in a developing economy. Meanwhile, Cuba's high investment aligns with its long-standing emphasis on universal education and literacy programs.
In contrast, countries like Denmark and Republic of Moldova also feature in the top tier with expenditures at 8.7% and 8.4% respectively, demonstrating that even in more developed nations, a high percentage of GDP allocation can be indicative of strong public education systems with comprehensive welfare support.
Challenges in Low-Investment Nations
At the opposite end of the spectrum, countries like Equatorial Guinea and Myanmar allocate the least to education, with 0.6% and 0.8% respectively. These figures suggest systemic challenges, often linked to economic constraints, political instability, or competing priorities such as infrastructure or healthcare. For instance, Equatorial Guinea's minimal education expenditure may reflect its focus on capital-intensive sectors like oil extraction, which can overshadow human capital development.
Similarly, Zambia and Central African Republic, with expenditures of 1.3% and 1.2% respectively, highlight the ongoing struggle in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa to balance limited resources with the growing demand for educational services.
Significant Year-over-Year Changes
Analyzing year-over-year changes, Venezuela experienced a notable increase of 3.30% (91.7%), potentially reflecting a governmental shift towards increasing social spending amidst economic challenges. Thailand and Uruguay also saw significant increases of 2.00% (52.6%) and 1.60% (55.2%) respectively, which may correlate with efforts to reform educational systems and expand access.
Conversely, Barbados experienced the most significant decrease, with a reduction of 1.90% (-25.3%), possibly indicating budget reallocations in response to economic pressures or policy shifts. Similarly, Seychelles and Iran saw decreases of 1.20% (-25.0%) and 1.00% (-21.3%) respectively, reflecting potential austerity measures or re-prioritization of national budgets.
Economic and Policy Drivers
The disparities in Education Expenditure (% of GDP) can often be traced back to a country's economic structure and policy framework. Nations like Lesotho and Kiribati may prioritize education as a tool for economic development and social advancement, aligning with international aid or strategic national goals. In contrast, resource-rich countries such as Equatorial Guinea might focus on sectors that promise quick economic returns, often at the expense of long-term educational investments.
Additionally, political stability plays a crucial role. Countries with stable governance like Denmark can afford to maintain high educational expenditure as part of a broader social welfare strategy, whereas nations experiencing political turmoil may struggle to allocate sufficient resources to education.
Ultimately, the data from 2014 reveal that while some countries prioritize education as a pivotal component of their national strategy, others face significant challenges that limit their capacity to invest in education, thus affecting their long-term socioeconomic prospects.
Data Source
CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook, was a reference resource produced by the US Central Intelligence Agency between 1962 and 2026 with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. From 1971 it was not classified, and available to the public in print since 1975, initially by the CIA, and later the Government Publishing Office.
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