European Union: Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, European Union's current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) fell 0.27 percentage points on 2021 (from 93.11% to 92.84%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2021), the average change was −0.02 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.85 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 1.65 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.35 percentage points in 2018. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.13 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 44% 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.

What this measures

Current expenditure is expressed as a percentage of direct expenditure in public educational institutions (instructional and non-instructional) of the specified level of education. Financial aid to students and other transfers are excluded from direct expenditure. Current expenditure is consumed within the current year and would have to be renewed if needed in the following year. It includes staff compensation and current expenditure other than for staff compensation (ex. on teaching materials, ancillary services and administration).

Limitations: The indicator depends on comprehensive and accurate data regarding government expenditure by type and nature of spending. In some cases, data on total government expenditure on education only includes the Ministry of Education, excluding other ministries that may also allocate part of their budget to educational services.

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

All 25 values

Current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) in nearby economies

• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 87.86% (2022)
• Israel — 88.34% (2022)
• Jordan — 94.85% (2024)
• Malta — 97.3% (2022)
• Oman — 95.18% (2024)

More education data for European Union

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 23.26 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 1.89 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 85.61% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 37.39 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 3.39 million (2024)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) — 97.7% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is European Union's current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions)?

92.84% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1998?

It is down 0.75 percentage points from 93.6% in 1998. The highest value was 94.61% in 2012 and the lowest 91.3% in 2008.

Is the latest change in current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) unusual for European Union?

In 2022, European Union's current education expenditure, primary (% of total expenditure in primary public institutions) fell 0.27 percentage points on 2021 (from 93.11% to 92.84%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2021), the average change was −0.02 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.85 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.CPRM.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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