Marshall Islands: Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 11.04 percentage points from 22.39% in 2017. Since 1999 it is down 17.2 percentage points from 28.54% in 1999. The World Bank has no value for 11 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2022, Marshall Islands' government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 11.52 percentage points on 2021 (from 22.87% to 11.35%).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2021), the average change was +0.5 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.25 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 7.69 percentage points in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 11.52 percentage points in 2022. 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 1.4 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 66% 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

In 2022, Marshall Islands had the 27th highest value of the 44 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Marshall Islands in the 2022 ranking

• Bulgaria — 23rd of 44: 11.98%
• Netherlands — 24th of 44: 11.97%
• Lithuania — 25th of 44: 11.73%
• Türkiye — 27th of 44: 11.33%
• Slovenia — 28th of 44: 11.08%
• Slovak Republic — 29th of 44: 10.83%

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 13 values

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

• Australia — 12.64% (2022)
• Brunei Darussalam — 11.44% (2016)
• Cambodia — 11.55% (2025)
• China — 11.91% (2023)
• Fiji — 13.79% (2025)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 15.74% (2024)
• Indonesia — 10.56% (2025)
• Kiribati — 20.12% (2024)

More education data for Marshall Islands

• 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)
• Compulsory education, duration (years) — 13 (2025)
• Preprimary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 5,369 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 101.8% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 102.28% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Marshall Islands's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?

11.35% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1999?

It is down 17.2 percentage points from 28.54% in 1999. The highest value was 28.54% in 1999 and the lowest 11.35% in 2022.

How does Marshall Islands rank?

27th highest of 44 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Marshall Islands?

In 2022, Marshall Islands' government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 11.52 percentage points on 2021 (from 22.87% to 11.35%). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2021), the average change was +0.5 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.25 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.8 standard deviations below 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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