Puerto Rico (US)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) was 4.27% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 1.8 percentage points from 6.07% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 4.27% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 3.33% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 6.07% | 2014 |
| Highest | 7.29% | 1974 |
| Lowest | 2.6% | 2018 |
| Average since 2015 | 3.52% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 7.25% | 1971 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Puerto Rico (US)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) rose 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 4.27% to 4.27%).
Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2023), the average change was −0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.91 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 0.96 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.73 percentage points in 2015. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.17 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 64% 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 2024, Puerto Rico (US) had the 20th highest value of the 38 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico (US) | 4.27% | 2024 |
| World | 3.57% | 2023 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 3.82% | 2023 |
| High income | 4.7% | 2022 |
Closest to Puerto Rico (US) in the 2024 ranking
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 20 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 4.27 |
| 2023 | 4.27 |
| 2022 | 3.86 |
| 2021 | 3.73 |
| 2020 | 4.29 |
| 2019 | 3.33 |
| 2018 | 2.6 |
| 2017 | 2.73 |
| 2016 | 2.78 |
| 2015 | 3.34 |
| 2014 |
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in nearby economies
- Antigua and Barbuda — 3.11% (2023)
- Argentina — 5% (2023)
- Aruba — 3.62% (2021)
- Bahamas, The — 2.74% (2023)
- Barbados — 3.56% (2024)
- Belize — 4.62% (2024)
- Bolivia — 7.54% (2024)
- Brazil — 5.62% (2022)
- British Virgin Islands — 3.17% (2023)
- Chile
More education data for Puerto Rico (US)
- Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Compulsory education, duration (years) — 13 (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Secondary education, general pupils — 229,383 (2016)
- Secondary education, vocational pupils — 6,618 (2016)
- Secondary education, general pupils (% female) — 49.69% (2016)
- Primary education, pupils — 144,542 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (% gross)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Puerto Rico (US)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)?
- 4.27% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1971?
- It is down 2.98 percentage points from 7.25% in 1971. The highest value was 7.29% in 1974 and the lowest 2.6% in 2018.
- How does Puerto Rico (US) rank?
- 20th highest of 38 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) unusual for Puerto Rico (US)?
- In 2024, Puerto Rico (US)'s government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) rose 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 4.27% to 4.27%). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2023), the average change was −0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.91 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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