Rwanda's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) was 13.93% in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 1.39 percentage points from 12.54% in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 13.93% | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 10.78% | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 12.54% | 2015 |
| Highest | 25.31% | 2001 |
| Lowest | 0% | 1981 |
| Average since 2016 | 12.74% | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 0% | 1981 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Rwanda's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 0.26 percentage points on 2024 (from 14.19% to 13.93%).
Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was +0.13 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.4 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 6.48 percentage points in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.13 percentage points in 2014. 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 upward, about 0.41 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 46% 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, Rwanda had the 22nd 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Rwanda | 13.93% | 2025 |
| World | 13.96% | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 15.38% | 2024 |
| Low income | 16.72% | 2022 |
Closest to Rwanda in the 2025 ranking
- Zambia — 19th of 58: 14.51%
- Gambia, The — 20th of 58: 14.21%
- Barbados — 21st of 58: 14.19%
- Kuwait — 23rd of 58: 13.85%
- Fiji — 24th of 58: 13.79%
- British Virgin Islands — 25th of 58: 13.59%
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 25 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 13.93 |
| 2024 | 14.19 |
| 2023 | 15.02 |
| 2022 | 12.77 |
| 2021 | 15.53 |
| 2020 | 10.78 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2018 | 10.8 |
| 2017 | 11.08 |
| 2016 | 12.28 |
| 2015 |
Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) in nearby economies
- Angola — 6.52% (2025)
- Benin — 18.02% (2025)
- Botswana — 21.47% (2020)
- Burkina Faso — 20.3% (2023)
- Burundi — 10.29% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 13.41% (2024)
- Cameroon — 13.83% (2024)
- Central African Republic — 9.99% (2023)
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
Questions people ask
- What is Rwanda's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?
- 13.93% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1981?
- It is up 13.93 percentage points from 0% in 1981. The highest value was 25.31% in 2001 and the lowest 0% in 1981.
- How does Rwanda rank?
- 22nd highest of 58 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) unusual for Rwanda?
- In 2025, Rwanda's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) fell 0.26 percentage points on 2024 (from 14.19% to 13.93%). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2024), the average change was +0.13 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.4 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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.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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