Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) was 3.71% in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 0.97 percentage points from 4.68% in 2013.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 3.71% | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 4.1% | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 4.68% | 2013 |
| Highest | 4.68% | 2013 |
| Lowest | 3.09% | 2002 |
| Average since 2014 | 4.11% | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 3.76% | 1999 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) rose 0.04 percentage points on 2022 (from 3.67% to 3.71%).
Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2022), the average change was −0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.32 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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 0.72 percentage points in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.5 percentage points in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.07 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 53% of the movement over 10 observed 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) | 3.71% | 2023 |
| World | 3.57% | 2023 |
What this measures
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.
Limitations: Data may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries).
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.
All 21 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.71 |
| 2022 | 3.67 |
| 2021 | 4.14 |
| 2020 | 4.39 |
| 2019 | 4.04 |
| 2018 | 4.1 |
| 2017 | 3.94 |
| 2016 | 4.45 |
| 2015 | 4.31 |
| 2014 | 4.41 |
| 2013 |
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in nearby economies
More education data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils — 15.66 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers — 906,553 (2024)
- Primary education, teachers (% female) — 82.7% (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils — 28.09 million (2024)
- Secondary education, general pupils — 30.5 million (2018)
- Secondary education, vocational pupils — 6.99 million (2018)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)?
- 3.71% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1999?
- It is down 0.05 percentage points from 3.76% in 1999. The highest value was 4.68% in 2013 and the lowest 3.09% in 2002.
- Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) unusual for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- In 2023, Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) rose 0.04 percentage points on 2022 (from 3.67% to 3.71%). Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2022), the average change was −0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.32 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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.GD.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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