Rwanda: Current education expenditure, total (% of total expenditure in public institutions)

Key figures

Since 1999 it is up 2.48 percentage points from 76.52% 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 2024, Rwanda's current education expenditure, total (% of total expenditure in public institutions) rose 17.77 percentage points on 2023 (from 61.23% to 79%).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was −2.59 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.08 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 17.77 percentage points in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 21.47 percentage points in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those 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, Rwanda had the 10th highest value of the 12 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 Rwanda in the 2024 ranking

• El Salvador — 7th of 12: 88.01%
• Oman — 8th of 12: 85.87%
• Côte d'Ivoire — 9th of 12: 84.43%
• Peru — 11th of 12: 78.46%
• Monaco — 12th of 12: 53.46%

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 15 values

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

• Benin — 91.69% (2015)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 84.43% (2024)
• Guinea — 98.62% (2020)
• Mali — 97.96% (2021)
• Niger — 99.17% (2018)
• Senegal — 88.59% (2022)
• Sierra Leone — 75.55% (2022)
• South Africa

More education data for Rwanda

• 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, pupils — 3.01 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 149.57% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 146.68% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 152.46% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 68,326 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

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 Rwanda's current education expenditure, total (% of total expenditure in public institutions)?

79% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1999?

It is up 2.48 percentage points from 76.52% in 1999. The highest value was 94.45% in 2007 and the lowest 58.24% in 2001.

How does Rwanda rank?

10th highest of 12 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Rwanda's current education expenditure, total (% of total expenditure in public institutions) rose 17.77 percentage points on 2023 (from 61.23% to 79%). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was −2.59 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.08 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.5 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.CTOT.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.