Senegal's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) was 20.91% in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 2.87 percentage points from 23.78% in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 20.91% | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 19.22% | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 23.78% | 2015 |
| Highest | 25.74% | 2013 |
| Lowest | 2.51% | 2010 |
| Average since 2016 | 19.51% | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 18.73% | 1998 |
What the numbers say
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 18.58 percentage points in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 20.79 percentage points in 2010. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Senegal had the 4th 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| Senegal | 20.91% | 2025 |
| World | 13.96% | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 15.38% | 2024 |
| Lower middle income | 13.62% | 2024 |
Closest to Senegal in the 2025 ranking
- Kenya — 1st of 58: 28.54%
- Namibia — 2nd of 58: 24.58%
- Bhutan — 3rd of 58: 22.22%
- Dominican Republic — 5th of 58: 20.87%
- Sierra Leone — 6th of 58: 20.55%
- Eswatini — 7th of 58: 19.21%
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 26 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.91 |
| 2024 | no data |
| 2023 | 22.55 |
| 2022 | 16.49 |
| 2021 | 16.68 |
| 2020 | 19.22 |
| 2019 | 14.69 |
| 2018 | 22.66 |
| 2017 | 21.1 |
| 2016 | 21.34 |
| 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 Senegal
- 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) — 7 (2025)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.16 (2021)
- Primary education, pupils — 2.35 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 85.33% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 96.07% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 75.52% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Senegal's government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure)?
- 20.91% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1998?
- It is up 2.18 percentage points from 18.73% in 1998. The highest value was 25.74% in 2013 and the lowest 2.51% in 2010.
- How does Senegal rank?
- 4th highest of 58 economies with data for 2025.
- Where does this data come from?
- The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..
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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