Education
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)
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.
World Bank code: SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS • Data available for 199 countries • Latest year: 2025
In , Burundi led Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) at 4.50.
The world median across 2 reporting countries was 4.24.
How "Education" indicators are measured
Education indicators come from UNESCO's Institute for Statistics, national ministries, and school censuses. Enrollment rates can exceed 100% when over-age children are still in school (repeating grades), so "net enrollment" — which counts only age-appropriate students — is often the more interpretable metric. Literacy data is updated infrequently in many countries.
Distribution — 2025
- Reporting
- 2 countries
- Median
- 4.24
- Mean
- 4.24
- 25th percentile
- 3.97
- 75th percentile
- 3.97
- Range
- 3.97 – 4.50
World at a Glance — 2025
Every reporting country, grouped by region, shaded by value (quintile).
Lighter = lower value · Darker = higher value. Hover a cell to see the country and value.
Highest Values — 2025
| # | Country | Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burundi Sub-Saharan Africa | 4.50 |
| 2 | Philippines East Asia & Pacific | 3.97 |
Looking for a specific country? Only the top and bottom 10 appear here. See where every country ranks for Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP).
View complete rankings →Biggest Movers — Year over Year
Largest increases
- Philippines +1.1%
Largest decreases
- Philippines 1.1%
By Income Group — Average
| Income group | Countries | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Lower middle income | 1 | 3.97 |
| Low income | 1 | 4.50 |
By Region — Average
| Region | Countries | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia & Pacific | 1 | 3.97 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 1 | 4.50 |
Lowest Values — 2025
| # | Country | Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philippines | 3.97 |
| 2 | Burundi | 4.50 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS), CC BY 4.0. Rankings show countries with available data for 2025.