Education Expenditure (% GDP) by Country
2 countries ranked · Data year: 2025
This page uses the latest available World Bank observation (2025). Country-level datasets often lag the current calendar year because they depend on official reporting and validation.
Education Expenditure (% GDP) measures the total public financial commitment to education relative to a nation's total economic output. It includes government spending on all educational levels, administrative costs, and subsidies. This indicator reflects the priority a government places on human capital development and the fiscal effort dedicated to its national school systems.
Methodology
Top Countries
Regional Averages
The average Education Expenditure (% GDP) for 2025 based on 2 countries was 4.24 % of GDP. The highest value was in Burundi: 4.5 % of GDP and the lowest value was in Philippines: 3.97 % of GDP.
Which country has the highest Education Expenditure (% GDP)?
As of 2025, Burundi has the highest Education Expenditure (% GDP) at 4.5 % of GDP. The top 5 countries by Education Expenditure (% GDP) are Burundi, Philippines. Data covers 2 countries. Source: World Bank.
Top 10 Countries by Education Expenditure (% GDP)
| # | Country | Education Expenditure (% GDP) (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burundi | 4.5 |
| 2 | Philippines | 3.97 |
Full ranking
| # | Country | Value | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burundi | 4.5 % of GDP | |
| 2 | Philippines | 3.97 % of GDP |
Frequently Asked Questions
As of 2025, Burundi has the highest Education Expenditure (% GDP) at 4.5 % of GDP. Data covers 2 countries. Source: World Bank.
The global average Education Expenditure (% GDP) is 4.24 % of GDP based on data from 2 countries (2025). Source: World Bank.
Philippines reports the lowest Education Expenditure (% GDP) at 3.97 % of GDP (2025).
Countries are ranked by their most recent reported value for Education Expenditure (% GDP), sourced from World Bank. Reporting years can differ slightly between countries due to publication lag.
Education Expenditure (% GDP) represents the portion of a nation's wealth that the government invests in its education sector. It includes funding for public schools, teacher salaries, infrastructure, and administrative costs. This metric helps analysts understand how much a country prioritizes education relative to its economic capacity rather than just in absolute currency amounts.
According to the latest available data covering 203 countries, Kiribati holds the highest ranking for this indicator. The government of Kiribati allocates approximately 16.4% of its Gross Domestic Product to education. This significant investment reflects a strong fiscal focus on developing human capital and supporting the educational needs of its population relative to its total economic output.
Based on the latest reports across 203 countries, Somalia records the lowest public education expenditure relative to its economy. Current estimates show the figure is nearly 0%, indicating minimal formal government spending on the education sector. This low value often reflects significant challenges in public finance, infrastructure, and the centralization of educational funding within a developing economy.
The indicator is calculated by taking the total government spending on education and dividing it by the Gross Domestic Product of the country. This result is then multiplied by 100 to produce a percentage. The calculation includes all levels of government, from local to national, and covers expenditures for both public and private educational institutions.
About this data
- Source
- World Bank
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS - Definition
- Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP.
- Coverage
- Data for 2 countries (2025)
- Limitations
- Data may lag 1-2 years for some countries. Coverage varies by indicator.