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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Philippines' government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 1.35 percentage points on 2024 (from 16.55% to 15.2%).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2024), the average change was +0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.41 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 3.01 percentage points in 1998 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.4 percentage points in 1997. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.31 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 50% 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 2025, Philippines had the 17th highest value of the 58 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 Philippines in the 2025 ranking

• El Salvador — 14th of 58: 15.89%
• Algeria — 15th of 58: 15.54%
• Ecuador — 16th of 58: 15.49%
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 18th of 58: 14.63%
• Zambia — 19th of 58: 14.51%
• Gambia, The — 20th of 58: 14.21%

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 29 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 Philippines

• 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, teachers — 527,504 (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 13.06 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 94.03% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 11.87 million (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 85.29% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 47.41% (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

15.2% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1982?

It is up 15.2 percentage points from 0% in 1982. The highest value was 19.59% in 2017 and the lowest 0% in 1982.

How does Philippines rank?

17th highest of 58 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Philippines' government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 1.35 percentage points on 2024 (from 16.55% to 15.2%). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2024), the average change was +0.09 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.41 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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