Education Expenditures by Country (2026)
Kiribati has the highest education expenditures (% of total GDP) in the world at 16.4%.
Top 5 Ranked
Kiribati
16.4%
Tuvalu
12.8%
Micronesia, Federated States of
11.6%
Kiribati
16.4%
Tuvalu
12.8%
Micronesia, Federated States of
11.6%
Overview
Developing countries often spend less due to limited resources. High spending is linked to better student outcomes, but priorities vary between early and higher education. Private and international funding can supplement public investment. This ranking highlights the importance of sustained investment in human capital.
Global Rankings
| Rank | Country | Education Expenditures (%) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Kiribati
|
16.4% | 2023 |
| 2 |
Tuvalu
|
12.8% | 2023 |
| 3 |
Micronesia, Federated States of
|
11.6% | 2020 |
| 4 |
Greenland
|
10.2% | 2019 |
| 5 |
Namibia
|
9.1% | 2024 |
| 6 |
Algeria
|
9.0% | 2024 |
| 7 |
Cuba
|
8.4% | 2022 |
| 8 |
Solomon Islands
|
8.3% | 2023 |
| 9 |
Botswana
|
8.1% | 2020 |
| 10 |
Marshall Islands
|
7.7% | 2022 |
| 11 |
Vanuatu
|
7.6% | 2024 |
| 12 |
Mauritania
|
7.6% | 2024 |
| 13 |
Faroe Islands
|
7.6% | 2019 |
| 14 |
Bolivia
|
7.5% | 2024 |
| 15 |
Sweden
|
7.3% | 2022 |
| 16 |
Iceland
|
7.3% | 2022 |
| 17 |
Kyrgyzstan
|
6.8% | 2023 |
| 18 |
Tunisia
|
6.7% | 2023 |
| 19 |
Lesotho
|
6.6% | 2024 |
| 20 |
Moldova
|
6.6% | 2023 |
| 21 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
6.5% | 2023 |
| 22 |
Kuwait
|
6.4% | 2024 |
| 23 |
Finland
|
6.4% | 2022 |
| 24 |
Denmark
|
6.4% | 2022 |
| 25 |
Belgium
|
6.3% | 2022 |
| 26 |
Senegal
|
6.2% | 2023 |
| 27 |
Swaziland
|
6.0% | 2024 |
| 28 |
Morocco
|
6.0% | 2023 |
| 29 |
South Africa
|
6.0% | 2024 |
| 30 |
Mozambique
|
6.0% | 2022 |
| 31 |
Israel
|
5.9% | 2022 |
| 32 |
United Kingdom
|
5.9% | 2021 |
| 33 |
Bhutan
|
5.8% | 2023 |
| 34 |
Nauru
|
5.8% | 2023 |
| 35 |
Brazil
|
5.6% | 2022 |
| 36 |
Jamaica
|
5.5% | 2024 |
| 37 |
Uzbekistan
|
5.5% | 2023 |
| 38 |
Samoa
|
5.5% | 2024 |
| 39 |
Tajikistan
|
5.4% | 2023 |
| 40 |
Norway
|
5.4% | 2022 |
| 41 |
United States
|
5.4% | 2021 |
| 42 |
South Korea
|
5.4% | 2022 |
| 43 |
Montserrat
|
5.4% | 2020 |
| 44 |
Dominica
|
5.4% | 2024 |
| 45 |
Burkina Faso
|
5.3% | 2023 |
| 46 |
France
|
5.3% | 2022 |
| 47 |
Tonga
|
5.3% | 2022 |
| 48 |
Costa Rica
|
5.3% | 2023 |
| 49 |
Austria
|
5.3% | 2022 |
| 50 |
Slovenia
|
5.3% | 2022 |
| 51 |
Colombia
|
5.3% | 2020 |
| 52 |
Timor-Leste
|
5.2% | 2023 |
| 53 |
Germany
|
5.2% | 2022 |
| 54 |
New Zealand
|
5.2% | 2023 |
| 55 |
Mongolia
|
5.2% | 2024 |
| 56 |
Estonia
|
5.2% | 2022 |
| 57 |
Netherlands
|
5.2% | 2022 |
| 58 |
Maldives
|
5.2% | 2023 |
| 59 |
Ukraine
|
5.1% | 2021 |
| 60 |
Grenada
|
5.1% | 2023 |
| 61 |
Australia
|
5.1% | 2022 |
| 62 |
Belarus
|
5.0% | 2024 |
| 63 |
Sao Tome and Principe
|
5.0% | 2023 |
| 64 |
Argentina
|
5.0% | 2023 |
| 65 |
Chile
|
4.9% | 2022 |
| 66 |
Kazakhstan
|
4.9% | 2023 |
| 67 |
Switzerland
|
4.9% | 2022 |
| 68 |
Canada
|
4.8% | 2022 |
| 69 |
Uruguay
|
4.8% | 2023 |
| 70 |
Cyprus
|
4.7% | 2022 |
| 71 |
Malta
|
4.7% | 2022 |
| 72 |
Iraq
|
4.7% | 2016 |
| 73 |
Slovakia
|
4.7% | 2022 |
| 74 |
Belize
|
4.6% | 2024 |
| 75 |
Rwanda
|
4.6% | 2024 |
| 76 |
Cook Islands
|
4.6% | 2021 |
| 77 |
Spain
|
4.6% | 2022 |
| 78 |
Honduras
|
4.5% | 2023 |
| 79 |
Portugal
|
4.5% | 2022 |
| 80 |
Burundi
|
4.5% | 2025 |
| 81 |
Bulgaria
|
4.5% | 2022 |
| 82 |
Saudi Arabia
|
4.5% | 2023 |
| 83 |
Seychelles
|
4.5% | 2023 |
| 84 |
Guyana
|
4.5% | 2018 |
| 85 |
Brunei
|
4.4% | 2016 |
| 86 |
Oman
|
4.4% | 2022 |
| 87 |
Peru
|
4.4% | 2024 |
| 88 |
Cabo Verde
|
4.3% | 2023 |
| 89 |
Latvia
|
4.3% | 2022 |
| 90 |
Poland
|
4.3% | 2022 |
| 91 |
Czech Republic
|
4.3% | 2022 |
| 92 |
Turkmenistan
|
4.3% | 2024 |
| 93 |
Puerto Rico
|
4.3% | 2024 |
| 94 |
Mauritius
|
4.2% | 2024 |
| 95 |
Fiji
|
4.2% | 2023 |
| 96 |
Lithuania
|
4.2% | 2022 |
| 97 |
Mali
|
4.2% | 2023 |
| 98 |
Russia
|
4.2% | 2023 |
| 99 |
Togo
|
4.1% | 2023 |
| 100 |
India
|
4.1% | 2022 |
| 101 |
Croatia
|
4.1% | 2021 |
| 102 |
Niger
|
4.1% | 2023 |
| 103 |
Zambia
|
4.1% | 2023 |
| 104 |
Italy
|
4.1% | 2022 |
| 105 |
Mexico
|
4.1% | 2022 |
| 106 |
Kenya
|
4.0% | 2024 |
| 107 |
Anguilla
|
4.0% | 2020 |
| 108 |
Georgia
|
4.0% | 2024 |
| 109 |
Philippines
|
4.0% | 2025 |
| 110 |
China
|
3.9% | 2023 |
| 111 |
United Arab Emirates
|
3.9% | 2021 |
| 112 |
Saint Lucia
|
3.9% | 2024 |
| 113 |
Hong Kong
|
3.8% | 2024 |
| 114 |
Hungary
|
3.8% | 2022 |
| 115 |
Dominican Republic
|
3.8% | 2023 |
| 116 |
Djibouti
|
3.8% | 2018 |
| 117 |
Luxembourg
|
3.7% | 2022 |
| 118 |
Ecuador
|
3.7% | 2024 |
| 119 |
Nepal
|
3.7% | 2024 |
| 120 |
Azerbaijan
|
3.7% | 2023 |
| 121 |
Aruba
|
3.6% | 2021 |
| 122 |
Cote d'Ivoire
|
3.6% | 2024 |
| 123 |
Barbados
|
3.6% | 2024 |
| 124 |
Paraguay
|
3.5% | 2024 |
| 125 |
Malaysia
|
3.5% | 2023 |
| 126 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
3.5% | 2023 |
| 127 |
Macau
|
3.5% | 2023 |
| 128 |
Palau
|
3.4% | 2023 |
| 129 |
Serbia
|
3.4% | 2023 |
| 130 |
Greece
|
3.4% | 2022 |
| 131 |
Republic of the Congo
|
3.3% | 2023 |
| 132 |
Japan
|
3.3% | 2021 |
| 133 |
El Salvador
|
3.3% | 2024 |
| 134 |
Romania
|
3.3% | 2022 |
| 135 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
3.2% | 2023 |
| 136 |
Benin
|
3.2% | 2023 |
| 137 |
Trinidad and Tobago
|
3.2% | 2023 |
| 138 |
Jordan
|
3.2% | 2024 |
| 139 |
Qatar
|
3.2% | 2020 |
| 140 |
Chad
|
3.2% | 2023 |
| 141 |
British Virgin Islands
|
3.2% | 2023 |
| 142 |
Tanzania
|
3.2% | 2024 |
| 143 |
Antigua and Barbuda
|
3.1% | 2023 |
| 144 |
Turkey
|
3.1% | 2022 |
| 145 |
Albania
|
3.1% | 2023 |
| 146 |
Guatemala
|
3.1% | 2024 |
| 147 |
Madagascar
|
3.0% | 2023 |
| 148 |
Turks and Caicos Islands
|
3.0% | 2024 |
| 149 |
Ghana
|
2.9% | 2022 |
| 150 |
Ireland
|
2.9% | 2021 |
| 151 |
San Marino
|
2.9% | 2022 |
| 152 |
Afghanistan
|
2.9% | 2020 |
| 153 |
Vietnam
|
2.9% | 2022 |
| 154 |
Nicaragua
|
2.9% | 2023 |
| 155 |
Suriname
|
2.9% | 2023 |
| 156 |
Cameroon
|
2.8% | 2023 |
| 157 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
2.8% | 2022 |
| 158 |
Iran
|
2.8% | 2023 |
| 159 |
Gambia
|
2.8% | 2023 |
| 160 |
Malawi
|
2.8% | 2022 |
| 161 |
Bahamas
|
2.7% | 2023 |
| 162 |
Guinea-Bissau
|
2.7% | 2020 |
| 163 |
Sierra Leone
|
2.6% | 2023 |
| 164 |
Uganda
|
2.6% | 2022 |
| 165 |
Thailand
|
2.5% | 2023 |
| 166 |
Angola
|
2.5% | 2023 |
| 167 |
Egypt
|
2.5% | 2020 |
| 168 |
Panama
|
2.5% | 2023 |
| 169 |
Armenia
|
2.4% | 2023 |
| 170 |
Comoros
|
2.3% | 2023 |
| 171 |
Gabon
|
2.3% | 2023 |
| 172 |
Ethiopia
|
2.3% | 2024 |
| 173 |
Liberia
|
2.3% | 2023 |
| 174 |
Singapore
|
2.2% | 2024 |
| 175 |
Cambodia
|
2.2% | 2023 |
| 176 |
Bangladesh
|
2.0% | 2024 |
| 177 |
Burma
|
2.0% | 2019 |
| 178 |
Pakistan
|
1.9% | 2023 |
| 179 |
Andorra
|
1.9% | 2023 |
| 180 |
Bahrain
|
1.9% | 2023 |
| 181 |
Bermuda
|
1.9% | 2023 |
| 182 |
Central African Republic
|
1.8% | 2023 |
| 183 |
Sri Lanka
|
1.8% | 2023 |
| 184 |
Monaco
|
1.7% | 2023 |
| 185 |
Guinea
|
1.7% | 2023 |
| 186 |
Cayman Islands
|
1.6% | 2023 |
| 187 |
Indonesia
|
1.3% | 2023 |
| 188 |
Laos
|
1.2% | 2023 |
| 189 |
Lebanon
|
1.2% | 2024 |
| 190 |
Haiti
|
1.0% | 2023 |
| 191 |
Papua New Guinea
|
0.8% | 2023 |
| 192 |
Zimbabwe
|
0.4% | 2023 |
| 193 |
Nigeria
|
0.3% | 2023 |
| 194 |
Somalia
|
0.0% | 2023 |
| 195 |
Venezuela
|
0.0% | 2023 |
Why Education Spending Matters
Education expenditures reflect a country's commitment to developing its human capital. Higher spending can improve access, quality, and outcomes in education. Investment in education drives innovation, economic growth, and social mobility. Comparing expenditures helps identify gaps and best practices. Sustained funding is essential for building a skilled and adaptable workforce.
Rankings use each country's most recent figure. Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), The World Factbook (2016–2021). How we calculate this
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