| Code | SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS |
| Indicator Name | Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) |
| Short definition | 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. |
| Long definition | 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. |
| 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 GDP |
| Periodicity | Annual |
| Reference period | 1970-2023 |
| Aggregation method | Median |
| Statistical concept and methodology | Methodology: Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) is calculated by dividing total government expenditure for all levels of education by the GDP, and multiplying by 100. Aggregate data are based on World Bank estimates.
Information pertaining to educational expenditures is sourced from national governments, which provide the data in response to the annual survey conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) or through the joint UNESCO-OECD-Eurostat (UOE) data collection initiative. The responses to the questionnaire regarding educational spending are typically derived from the annual financial statements issued by either the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Education, or from the national accounts maintained by the National Statistical Office. Additionally, data concerning GDP and overall government expenditure are accessible via the IMF’s World Economic Outlook database, which is updated annually.
Statistical concept(s): Generally, elevated levels of the indicator suggest that a government places a high priority on educational policy. Values ranging from 4% to 6% are indicative of a country achieving the benchmark set forth by the Education 2030 Framework for Action (https://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/education-2030-incheon-framework-for-action-implementation-of-sdg4-2016-en_2.pdf).
Educational expenditure encompasses spending on fundamental educational goods and services, including teaching personnel, school infrastructure, textbooks, and instructional materials, as well as on ancillary educational goods and services such as support services, general administration, and other related activities.
Funding for education may originate from public sources, encompassing all government ministries and agencies that finance or support educational programs within the country, as well as from international and private sources, such as household contributions. |
| Development relevance | Investment in education acts as a driving force for economic growth, enhances productivity, and promotes the betterment of individual and collective welfare. This indicator evaluates the extent to which a government prioritizes education in relation to its overall economic prosperity. |
| Limitations and exceptions | Data may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries). |
| License URL | https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/public-licenses#cc-by |
| License Type | CC BY-4.0 |
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