Singapore: Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Singapore's government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2023 (from 2.1% to 2.19%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2023), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.28 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 0.68 percentage points in 1982 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.46 percentage points in 2005. 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 downward, about 0.09 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% 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, Singapore had the 37th 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.

Closest to Singapore in the 2024 ranking

• Guatemala — 33rd of 38: 3.08%
• Turks and Caicos Islands — 34th of 38: 2.95%
• Ethiopia — 35th of 38: 2.3%
• Bangladesh — 37th of 38: 2.03%
• Lebanon — 38th of 38: 1.22%

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 39 values

Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Australia — 5.06% (2022)
• Brunei Darussalam — 4.43% (2016)
• Cambodia — 2.18% (2023)
• China — 3.9% (2023)
• Fiji — 4.25% (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 3.81% (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.28% (2023)
• Japan — 3.34% (2021)
• Kiribati — 16.39% (2023)
• Korea, Rep.

More education data for Singapore

• 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) — 4 (2025)
• Preprimary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 238,816 (2023)
• Primary education, teachers — 16,639 (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 163,746 (2023)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 80.55% (2023)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 14.69 (2017)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

2.19% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 0.92 percentage points from 3.11% in 1971. The highest value was 3.98% in 2003 and the lowest 2.1% in 2023.

How does Singapore rank?

37th highest of 38 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Singapore's government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) rose 0.09 percentage points on 2023 (from 2.1% to 2.19%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2023), the average change was +0 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.28 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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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