Congo, Dem. Rep.: Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)

Key figures

Since 1981 it is up 13.15 percentage points from 0% in 1981. The World Bank has no value for 23 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, Congo, Dem. Rep.'s government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 1.08 percentage points on 2016 (from 14.23% to 13.15%).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2016), the average change was −0.19 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.07 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.5 percentage points in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.82 percentage points in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Congo, Dem. Rep. in the 2017 ranking

• Afghanistan — 1st of 2: 15.66%

What this measures

General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.

Limitations: Data on government expenditure on education may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries). In addition, definitions and methods of data on total general government expenditure may differ across countries.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 14 values

Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in nearby economies

• Angola — 6.52% (2025)
• Benin — 18.02% (2025)
• Botswana — 21.47% (2020)
• Burkina Faso — 20.3% (2023)
• Burundi — 10.29% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 13.41% (2024)
• Cameroon — 13.83% (2024)
• Central African Republic — 9.99% (2023)

More education data for Congo, Dem. Rep.

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 21.15 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 117.6% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 114.34% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 120.87% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.95 (2020)
• Primary education, pupils (% female)

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Questions people ask

What is Congo, Dem. Rep.'s government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?

13.15% in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is up 13.15 percentage points from 0% in 1981. The highest value was 16.17% in 2013 and the lowest 0% in 1981.

Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Congo, Dem. Rep.?

In 2017, Congo, Dem. Rep.'s government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 1.08 percentage points on 2016 (from 14.23% to 13.15%). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2016), the average change was −0.19 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.07 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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