| Code | SE.XPD.CSEC.ZS |
| Indicator Name | Current education expenditure, secondary (% of total expenditure in secondary public institutions) |
| Short definition | 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). |
| Long definition | 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). |
| 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. Detailed documentation is available at: https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public/documentation/, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), date accessed: 2025-09-22, date published: 2025-09 |
| Topic | Education: Inputs |
| Dataset | WDI |
| Unit of measure | % of total expenditure in secondary public institutions |
| Periodicity | Annual |
| Reference period | 1998-2023 |
| Aggregation method | Median |
| Statistical concept and methodology | Methodology: Current expenditure, secondary is calculated by dividing all current expenditure in public institutions of secondary education by total expenditure (current and capital) in public institutions of secondary education, and multiplying by 100. Aggregate data are based on World Bank estimates.
The data on education spending is obtained from national governments through their responses to the annual UIS survey on formal education or the UNESCO-OECD-Eurostat (UOE) data collection initiative. The figures reported in the education expenditure questionnaire are usually derived from the annual financial reports of the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Education, or from the national accounts maintained by the National Statistical Office.
Statistical concept(s): Educational expenditure in public institutions includes all staff compensation, teaching staff/non teaching staff compensation, current expenditure other than staff compensation, expenditure on school books and teaching material. |
| Development relevance | Investing in education is a catalyst for economic expansion, productivity improvement, and the advancement of both individual and societal well-being. It also serves as a mechanism to mitigate social disparities. The value of this indicator highlights the focus of governmental policies, as evidenced by the distribution of spending by expenditure type and the nature of expenditures throughout various educational stages. |
| Limitations and exceptions | 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. |
| License URL | https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/public-licenses#cc-by |
| License Type | CC BY-4.0 |
| |