Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD): Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 2.61 percentage points on 2022 (from 12.08% to 14.69%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2022), the average change was +0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.61 percentage points in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.46 percentage points in 2007. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 20% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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.

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 26 values

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

• Afghanistan — 15.66% (2017)
• Algeria — 15.54% (2025)
• Bahrain — 8.34% (2025)
• Djibouti — 14.47% (2018)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 18.82% (2022)
• Israel — 16.07% (2022)
• Jordan — 9.79% (2024)
• Kuwait — 13.85% (2025)
• Lebanon

More education data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)

• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 26.07 million (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 44.41 million (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 64.82% (2020)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 32.4 million (2018)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils — 7.79 million (2018)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?

14.69% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1996?

It is up 14.69 percentage points from 0% in 1996. The highest value was 14.69% in 2023 and the lowest 0% in 1996.

Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)?

In 2023, Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) rose 2.61 percentage points on 2022 (from 12.08% to 14.69%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2022), the average change was +0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.7 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

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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