Education Expenditure (% of GDP) 2020

Education expenditure measures the percentage of GDP spent on education. Compare countries and explore interactive rankings and trends.

215 data points•Updated 3/28/2026•Global Coverage•CIA World Factbook•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Dominica	5.6 % of GDP
2	Aruba	5.5 % of GDP
3	Antigua and Barbuda	NaN % of GDP
4	United Arab Emirates	NaN % of GDP
5	Cuba	12.8 % of GDP
6	Solomon Islands	9.9 % of GDP
7	Denmark	7.8 % of GDP
8	Belize	7.6 % of GDP
9	Bolivia	7.3 % of GDP
10	Costa Rica	7 % of GDP
11	Bhutan	6.9 % of GDP
12	Belgium	6.4 % of GDP
13	Brazil	6.3 % of GDP
14	Cyprus	5.8 % of GDP
15	Austria	5.4 % of GDP
16	Chile	5.4 % of GDP
17	Colombia	4.5 % of GDP
18	Afghanistan	4.1 % of GDP
19	Algeria	NaN % of GDP
20	Argentina	5.5 % of GDP
21	Canada	5.3 % of GDP
22	Cabo Verde	5.2 % of GDP
23	Australia	5.1 % of GDP
24	Burundi	5.1 % of GDP
25	Belarus	4.8 % of GDP
26	Cook Islands	4.7 % of GDP
27	Barbados	4.4 % of GDP
28	Albania	3.6 % of GDP
29	Angola	3.4 % of GDP
30	Andorra	3.2 % of GDP
31	Azerbaijan	2.5 % of GDP
32	American Samoa	NaN % of GDP
33	Anguilla	NaN % of GDP
34	Chad	2.5 % of GDP
35	Bahrain	2.3 % of GDP
36	Botswana	NaN % of GDP
37	Congo	3.5 % of GDP
38	Cambodia	2.2 % of GDP
39	Bermuda	1.5 % of GDP
40	Bahamas	NaN % of GDP
41	Brunei Darussalam	4.4 % of GDP
42	Bulgaria	4.1 % of GDP
43	Djibouti	3.6 % of GDP
44	Benin	2.9 % of GDP
45	Comoros	2.5 % of GDP
46	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	1.5 % of GDP
47	Bangladesh	1.3 % of GDP
48	Bosnia and Herzegovina	NaN % of GDP
49	Sri Lanka	2.1 % of GDP
50	Myanmar	1.9 % of GDP
51	China	NaN % of GDP
52	Cayman Islands	NaN % of GDP
53	Cameroon	3.1 % of GDP
54	Northern Mariana Islands	NaN % of GDP
55	Central African Republic	1.2 % of GDP
56	Dominican Republic	NaN % of GDP
57	Iceland	7.7 % of GDP
58	Finland	6.4 % of GDP
59	Honduras	6.1 % of GDP
60	Israel	6.1 % of GDP
61	France	5.5 % of GDP
62	Ecuador	5 % of GDP
63	Egypt	NaN % of GDP
64	Kyrgyzstan	6 % of GDP
65	Guyana	5.5 % of GDP
66	Kenya	5.3 % of GDP
67	Jamaica	5.2 % of GDP
68	Ethiopia	4.7 % of GDP
69	Ghana	4 % of GDP
70	Czech Republic	3.9 % of GDP
71	Ireland	3.5 % of GDP
72	Equatorial Guinea	NaN % of GDP
73	Estonia	5 % of GDP
74	Eritrea	NaN % of GDP
75	Germany	4.9 % of GDP
76	Hungary	4.7 % of GDP
77	Latvia	4.4 % of GDP
78	South Korea	4.3 % of GDP
79	Iran	4 % of GDP
80	Italy	4 % of GDP
81	Fiji	3.9 % of GDP
82	Croatia	3.9 % of GDP
83	India	3.8 % of GDP
84	Lithuania	3.8 % of GDP
85	El Salvador	3.6 % of GDP
86	Indonesia	3.6 % of GDP
87	Georgia	3.5 % of GDP
88	Côte d'Ivoire	3.3 % of GDP
89	Grenada	3.2 % of GDP
90	Guatemala	3.2 % of GDP
91	Jordan	3.1 % of GDP
92	Laos	2.9 % of GDP
93	Haiti	2.8 % of GDP
94	Gabon	2.7 % of GDP
95	Liberia	2.6 % of GDP
96	Lebanon	2.5 % of GDP
97	Gambia	2.4 % of GDP
98	Gibraltar	NaN % of GDP
99	Greenland	NaN % of GDP
100	Guam	NaN % of GDP
101	Greece	NaN % of GDP
102	Japan	3.2 % of GDP
103	Guinea	2.3 % of GDP
104	Iraq	NaN % of GDP
105	North Korea	NaN % of GDP
106	Kiribati	NaN % of GDP
107	Kuwait	NaN % of GDP
108	Montserrat	8.8 % of GDP
109	Norway	7.9 % of GDP
110	Lesotho	7 % of GDP
111	Oman	6.8 % of GDP
112	New Zealand	6.3 % of GDP
113	Puerto Rico	6.1 % of GDP
114	Mozambique	5.5 % of GDP
115	Republic of Moldova	5.4 % of GDP
116	Netherlands	5.2 % of GDP
117	Nepal	5.1 % of GDP
118	Portugal	5 % of GDP
119	Malta	4.8 % of GDP
120	Malawi	4.7 % of GDP
121	Mauritius	4.7 % of GDP
122	Russia	4.7 % of GDP
123	Poland	4.6 % of GDP
124	Mexico	4.5 % of GDP
125	Vanuatu	4.5 % of GDP
126	Nicaragua	4.4 % of GDP
127	Malaysia	4.2 % of GDP
128	Mongolia	4.1 % of GDP
129	Maldives	4.1 % of GDP
130	Slovakia	3.9 % of GDP
131	Mali	3.8 % of GDP
132	Luxembourg	3.6 % of GDP
133	Serbia	3.6 % of GDP
134	Romania	3.1 % of GDP
135	Liechtenstein	2.6 % of GDP
136	Libya	NaN % of GDP
137	Madagascar	2.8 % of GDP
138	Montenegro	NaN % of GDP
139	North Macedonia	NaN % of GDP
140	Mauritania	1.9 % of GDP
141	Monaco	1.5 % of GDP
142	Morocco	NaN % of GDP
143	New Caledonia	NaN % of GDP
144	Niue	NaN % of GDP
145	Niger	3.5 % of GDP
146	Nigeria	NaN % of GDP
147	Sint Maarten (Dutch part)	NaN % of GDP
148	Nauru	NaN % of GDP
149	Suriname	NaN % of GDP
150	Peru	3.8 % of GDP
151	Paraguay	3.4 % of GDP
152	Panama	3.2 % of GDP
153	Rwanda	3.1 % of GDP
154	Pakistan	2.9 % of GDP
155	Qatar	2.7 % of GDP
156	Guinea-Bissau	2.1 % of GDP
157	Papua New Guinea	1.9 % of GDP
158	South Sudan	1.5 % of GDP
159	Saint Martin (French part)	NaN % of GDP
160	Philippines	NaN % of GDP
161	Saudi Arabia	NaN % of GDP
162	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	NaN % of GDP
163	Sierra Leone	7.7 % of GDP
164	Sweden	7.6 % of GDP
165	Eswatini	7.1 % of GDP
166	Timor-Leste	6.8 % of GDP
167	Tunisia	6.6 % of GDP
168	South Africa	6.5 % of GDP
169	Zimbabwe	5.9 % of GDP
170	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	5.7 % of GDP
171	Togo	5.4 % of GDP
172	United Kingdom	5.4 % of GDP
173	Ukraine	5.4 % of GDP
174	Burkina Faso	5.4 % of GDP
175	Uzbekistan	5.3 % of GDP
176	Tajikistan	5.2 % of GDP
177	Switzerland	5.1 % of GDP
178	Sao Tome and Principe	5.1 % of GDP
179	United States	5 % of GDP
180	Uruguay	5 % of GDP
181	Curaçao	4.9 % of GDP
182	Senegal	4.8 % of GDP
183	Slovenia	4.8 % of GDP
184	Zambia	4.6 % of GDP
185	Seychelles	4.4 % of GDP
186	Turkey	4.3 % of GDP
187	Spain	4.2 % of GDP
188	Samoa	4.2 % of GDP
189	Thailand	4.1 % of GDP
190	San Marino	3.6 % of GDP
191	Saint Lucia	3.3 % of GDP
192	Singapore	2.9 % of GDP
193	Saint Kitts and Nevis	2.6 % of GDP
194	Saint Helena	NaN % of GDP
195	Somalia	NaN % of GDP
196	Syrian Arab Republic	NaN % of GDP
197	Saint Barthélemy	NaN % of GDP
198	Trinidad and Tobago	NaN % of GDP
199	Turks and Caicos Islands	2.9 % of GDP
200	Tokelau	NaN % of GDP
201	Tonga	NaN % of GDP
202	Tuvalu	NaN % of GDP
203	Taiwan	NaN % of GDP
204	Vietnam	4.2 % of GDP
205	Tanzania	3.4 % of GDP
206	Turkmenistan	3.1 % of GDP
207	Namibia	3.1 % of GDP
208	Kazakhstan	2.6 % of GDP
209	British Virgin Islands	2.5 % of GDP
210	Uganda	2.1 % of GDP
211	Venezuela	NaN % of GDP
212	United States Virgin Islands	NaN % of GDP
213	Holy See	NaN % of GDP
214	Wallis and Futuna Islands	NaN % of GDP
215	Yemen	NaN % of GDP

↑Top 10 Countries

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 2020, Cuba led the world in Education Expenditure (% of GDP) with a remarkable 12.8%, while the global range spanned from 1.20% to 12.80%. The global average expenditure on education was 4.42% of GDP, providing a benchmark for comparison across the 164 countries with available data.

High Expenditure Leaders and Their Context

The countries with the highest education expenditures as a percentage of GDP highlight diverse economic and social priorities. Cuba at 12.8% and the Solomon Islands at 9.9% reflect a strong governmental commitment to education, often driven by policy decisions that prioritize human capital development despite economic constraints. In Norway and Denmark, with expenditures of 7.9% and 7.8% respectively, the high investment in education aligns with their welfare state models, where education is seen as a public good essential for maintaining a competitive and equitable society.

Low Expenditure and Economic Challenges

At the other end of the spectrum, countries like the Central African Republic and Bangladesh, spending 1.2% and 1.3% of GDP on education, face significant economic challenges. Limited fiscal space and competing priorities often force these nations to allocate fewer resources to education. In South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, both spending around 1.5%, ongoing conflicts and political instability further strain their educational investments. These figures highlight the persistent inequalities in global education financing, where economic stability often dictates the capacity to invest in education.

Year-over-Year Trends and Significant Changes

Analyzing the year-over-year changes, Montserrat and Sierra Leone experienced the most significant increases in education expenditure, rising by 3.70% (72.5%) and 3.10% (67.4%) respectively. These increases are often the result of strategic policy shifts aimed at improving educational access and quality. In contrast, Côte d'Ivoire and the Czech Republic saw the largest decreases, with reductions of 1.80% (-35.3%) and 1.70% (-30.4%) respectively. These declines may be attributed to budget reallocations or economic contractions, highlighting the volatility that can accompany reliance on GDP percentage as a funding metric.

Policy Implications and Future Directions

The variance in Education Expenditure (% of GDP) underscores the critical role of policy and economic conditions in shaping educational investment. Countries with high expenditures often prioritize education as a means of fostering economic growth and social equity. However, for nations at the lower end, international support and policy reform may be necessary to overcome economic barriers and enhance educational outcomes. As the world continues to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted educational systems globally, the importance of sustained and strategic investment in education becomes even more pronounced.

Frequently Asked Questions About Education Expenditure (% of GDP) in 2020

Which country had the highest education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2020?

Cuba had the highest education expenditure, spending 12.8% of its GDP on education in 2020.

Which country had the lowest education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2020?

The Central African Republic had the lowest education expenditure, with 1.2% of its GDP spent on education in 2020.

What was the average education expenditure as a percentage of GDP across all countries in 2020?

The average education expenditure across all countries was 4.42% of GDP in 2020.

What was the median education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2020?

The median education expenditure was 4.3% of GDP in 2020.

Which countries were in the top 10 for education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2020?

The top 10 countries for education expenditure in 2020 were Cuba, Solomon Islands, Montserrat, Norway, Denmark, Sierra Leone, Iceland, Sweden, Belize, and Bolivia.

How many countries are included in the dataset for education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2020?

The dataset includes 164 countries for education expenditure as a percentage of GDP in 2020.

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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Historical Data by Year

Explore Education Expenditure (% of GDP) data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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