Education Spending by Public, Households & International Aid (% of GDP) by Country (2026)

Public, household, and ODA education expenditure as a percentage of GDP reflects the comprehensive financial commitment of countries to education from government, private household, and international development assistance sources. This metric measures the share of a country's total economic output dedicated to education from these three primary funding sources, providing insight into education financing models and the balance between public and private investment. Countries with higher combined education spending demonstrate strong commitment to education development and human capital investment. Understanding education spending from these sources across countries reveals important differences in education financing structures and the role of different stakeholders in education funding.

Understanding Public, Household, and ODA Education Expenditure

Public, household, and ODA education expenditure measures the percentage of a country's GDP spent on education from government budgets, private household investment, and international development assistance combined. This includes government education spending, household education costs, and international education aid. High combined education spending indicates that countries prioritize education as a critical investment in human capital and economic development. Low combined education spending suggests that countries allocate limited resources to education from these sources.

Public, household, and ODA education expenditure as a percentage of GDP reflects both the absolute amount countries invest in education and the size of their economies. A country where combined education spending represents 8% of GDP may have very different education investment than a country where it represents 4% of GDP, even if absolute spending amounts are similar. This metric reveals the priority countries place on education and their commitment to education development. It also indicates the balance between government, household, and international funding in education systems.

Education Spending by Public, Households & International Aid (% of GDP) by Country (2026)

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#	Country	2026 Estimate (%)
1	Ghana GH	13.59%
2	Senegal SN	10.36%
3	Eswatini SZ	10.23%
4	Rwanda RW	10.15%
5	Puerto Rico PR	9.44%
6	Mauritius MU	9.12%
7	Costa Rica CR	9.03%
8	Iceland IS	8.89%
9	Macau MO	8.89%
10	Lebanon LB	8.62%
11	Burundi BI	8.57%
12	Togo TG	8.5%
13	Honduras HN	8.46%
14	Denmark DK	8.45%
15	Bolivia BO	8.26%
16	Colombia CO	8.26%
17	Jordan JO	8.15%
18	Palestine PS	8.07%
19	Ecuador EC	7.93%
20	Sweden SE	7.83%
21	Moldova MD	7.81%
22	Kenya KE	7.67%
23	Jamaica JM	7.53%
24	Brazil BR	7.47%
25	United Arab Emirates AE	7.4%
26	Benin BJ	7.38%
27	Israel IL	7.36%
28	Australia AU	7.31%
29	Lesotho LS	7.26%
30	Norway NO	7.24%
31	United Kingdom GB	7.21%
32	Chile CL	7.19%
33	India IN	7.14%
34	South Korea KR	7.13%
35	Indonesia ID	7.06%
36	Bhutan BT	7.05%
37	Mongolia MN	7.03%
38	Cyprus CY	6.98%
39	Belgium BE	6.94%
40	Oman OM	6.9%
41	Finland FI	6.82%
42	Niger NE	6.8%
43	Nepal NP	6.77%
44	Albania AL	6.4%
45	Zimbabwe ZW	6.37%
46	Slovenia SI	6.3%
47	Ethiopia ET	6.29%
48	Malta MT	6.25%
49	Nicaragua NI	6.19%
50	Netherlands NL	6.18%
51	Vietnam VN	6.13%
52	United States US	6.07%
53	Djibouti DJ	6.05%
54	Portugal PT	6.05%
55	Burkina Faso BF	6.04%
56	Comoros KM	6.03%
57	Madagascar MG	6.03%
58	New Zealand NZ	6.01%
59	Kyrgyzstan KG	5.98%
60	Austria AT	5.94%
61	Spain ES	5.94%
62	Peru PE	5.93%
63	Germany DE	5.86%
64	Cape Verde CV	5.74%
65	Ukraine UA	5.74%
66	Argentina AR	5.69%
67	France FR	5.69%
68	Hong Kong HK	5.61%
69	Poland PL	5.58%
70	El Salvador SV	5.54%
71	Hungary HU	5.49%
72	Maldives MV	5.49%
73	Bulgaria BG	5.44%
74	Sri Lanka LK	5.43%
75	Mali ML	5.41%
76	Uganda UG	5.37%
77	Mexico MX	5.35%
78	Belarus BY	5.29%
79	Pakistan PK	5.28%
80	Switzerland CH	5.28%
81	Bangladesh BD	5.26%
82	Ivory Coast CI	5.23%
83	Cambodia KH	5.2%
84	Czech Republic CZ	5.17%
85	Estonia EE	5.17%
86	Guatemala GT	5.15%
87	Malaysia MY	5.15%
88	Panama PA	5.15%
89	Slovakia SK	5.14%
90	Latvia LV	5.09%
91	Uruguay UY	5.01%
92	Paraguay PY	5%
93	Armenia AM	4.97%
94	Canada CA	4.96%
95	Gambia GM	4.93%
96	Myanmar MM	4.93%
97	Uzbekistan UZ	4.9%
98	Cook Islands CK	4.84%
99	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	4.83%
100	Italy IT	4.83%
101	Greece GR	4.77%
102	Türkiye TR	4.67%
103	Barbados BB	4.62%
104	Lithuania LT	4.46%
105	Japan JP	4.3%
106	Chad TD	4.29%
107	Croatia HR	4.26%
108	Azerbaijan AZ	4.23%
109	Russia RU	4.2%
110	Serbia RS	3.85%
111	Luxembourg LU	3.84%
112	Georgia GE	3.78%
113	Andorra AD	3.73%
114	Cameroon CM	3.7%
115	Sudan SD	3.6%
116	Malawi MW	3.53%
117	Ireland IE	3.46%
118	Bahrain BH	3.36%
119	Romania RO	3.34%
120	Kazakhstan KZ	3.02%
121	Guinea GN	3%
122	Bermuda BM	2.82%
123	Iran IR	2.82%
124	Liechtenstein LI	2.76%
125	Guyana GY	2.66%
126	Monaco MC	1.2%

Global Patterns in Education Spending

Public, household, and ODA education expenditure varies significantly across countries, reflecting different approaches to education financing and development priorities. Developed nations typically show combined education spending between 5-9% of GDP, reflecting substantial government investment combined with household contributions and international partnerships. Many developing countries show lower combined education spending, between 3-7% of GDP, indicating more limited resources for education. Some countries show higher combined education spending above 9%, suggesting exceptional commitment to education investment and development.

Countries with strong education systems and active education development show higher combined education spending. Advanced economies with comprehensive education infrastructure and high education quality show combined education spending above 7% of GDP. Countries with emerging education development show lower spending but growing trends. Regional patterns reflect broader development differences, with developed regions showing higher combined education spending than developing regions. This creates differences in education quality and access across countries.

Education Financing and Development Impact

Public, household, and ODA education spending significantly affects education quality, access, and economic development. In countries where governments, households, and international partners invest substantially in education, students have access to quality schools, trained teachers, and educational resources. This creates better education outcomes and supports economic competitiveness. High combined education spending also reflects societal commitment to education as essential for social mobility and economic opportunity.

Conversely, countries with low combined education spending often face challenges in education quality and access. These countries may have limited school infrastructure, undertrained teachers, and insufficient educational resources. Increasing combined education spending through expanded government investment, improved household education financing, and increased international support is essential for improving education quality and access, particularly in developing countries where education resources are limited. Sustainable education development requires adequate education spending from all sources.

2026 Projections and Methodology

Projections for 2026 show varied changes in combined education spending globally. Some countries show increasing education investment as governments prioritize education development and international support expands. Others show stable or declining education spending as economic conditions change or budget priorities shift. Overall, combined education spending remains a critical indicator of education system sustainability and development commitment.

The 2026 estimates are calculated through individual country assessment based on historical data patterns spanning multiple years, economic development trajectories, and education system characteristics. This approach analyzes each country's specific circumstances rather than applying uniform formulas. For countries with recent data spanning several years, historical trends are examined to identify patterns of change. For countries with older or limited data, regional benchmarks and comparable country analysis inform projections. The methodology considers education policy changes, where reforms may increase education investment, and economic constraints, where budget pressures may reduce education spending. These are scenario-based projections representing likely directions and magnitudes of change, not official forecasts or precise predictions.

Education Spending by Public, Households & International Aid (% of GDP) by Country (2026)

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#	Country	2018 (%)	2019 (%)	2020 (%)	2021 (%)	2022 (%)	2023 (%)	2026 Estimate (%)
1	Ghana	-	-	-	-	-	-	13.59%
2	Senegal	-	-	-	-	-	-	10.36%
3	Eswatini	-	-	-	-	-	-	10.23%
4	Rwanda	-	-	-	-	-	-	10.15%
5	Puerto Rico	-	-	-	-	-	-	9.44%
6	Mauritius	-	-	-	-	-	-	9.12%
7	Costa Rica	9.85%	9.53%	9.46%	9.03%	-	-	9.03%
8	Iceland	8.37%	8.26%	9.3%	8.89%	-	-	8.89%
9	Macau	3.41%	3.85%	8.21%	6.97%	8.89%	-	8.89%
10	Lebanon	-	-	-	-	-	-	8.62%
11	Burundi	-	-	-	-	-	-	8.57%
12	Togo	-	-	-	-	-	-	8.5%
13	Honduras	8.46%	-	-	-	-	-	8.46%
14	Denmark	8.78%	8.69%	8.99%	8.45%	-	-	8.45%
15	Bolivia	-	-	-	-	-	-	8.26%
16	Colombia	5.87%	6.87%	8.26%	-	-	-	8.26%
17	Jordan	-	-	-	-	-	-	8.15%
18	Palestine	-	-	-	-	-	-	8.07%
19	Ecuador	-	-	-	-	-	-	7.93%
20	Sweden	-	7.83%	-	-	-	-	7.83%
21	Moldova	-	-	7.81%	-	-	-	7.81%
22	Kenya	7.67%	-	-	-	-	-	7.67%
23	Jamaica	-	-	-	-	-	-	7.53%
24	Brazil	8%	7.86%	7.47%	-	-	-	7.47%
25	United Arab Emirates	-	7.18%	-	7.4%	-	-	7.4%
26	Benin	-	-	-	-	-	-	7.38%
27	Israel	7.51%	7.47%	7.57%	7.36%	-	-	7.36%
28	Australia	-	-	7.34%	7.31%	-	-	7.31%
29	Lesotho	7.26%	-	-	-	-	-	7.26%
30	Norway	7.9%	8.17%	8.69%	7.24%	-	-	7.24%
31	United Kingdom	-	7.21%	-	-	-	-	7.21%
32	Chile	8.36%	8.12%	7.97%	7.19%	-	-	7.19%
33	India	6.64%	6.43%	7.14%	-	-	-	7.14%
34	South Korea	6.91%	7.2%	6.93%	7.13%	-	-	7.13%
35	Indonesia	-	-	-	-	-	-	7.06%
36	Bhutan	7.05%	-	-	-	-	-	7.05%
37	Mongolia	-	-	-	-	-	-	7.03%
38	Cyprus	-	7.11%	7.51%	6.98%	-	-	6.98%
39	Belgium	6.92%	6.86%	7.37%	6.94%	-	-	6.94%
40	Oman	-	5.08%	6.9%	-	-	-	6.9%
41	Finland	6.59%	6.73%	6.93%	6.82%	-	-	6.82%
42	Niger	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.8%
43	Nepal	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.77%
44	Albania	-	6.4%	-	-	-	-	6.4%
45	Zimbabwe	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.37%
46	Slovenia	5.97%	5.87%	6.3%	6.3%	-	-	6.3%
47	Ethiopia	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.29%
48	Malta	-	5.72%	-	6.25%	-	-	6.25%
49	Nicaragua	6.19%	-	-	-	-	-	6.19%
50	Netherlands	6.04%	5.84%	6.13%	6.18%	-	-	6.18%
51	Vietnam	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.13%
52	United States	6.12%	6.21%	6.9%	6.07%	-	-	6.07%
53	Djibouti	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.05%
54	Portugal	5.89%	5.8%	6.17%	6.05%	-	-	6.05%
55	Burkina Faso	6.04%	-	-	-	-	-	6.04%
56	Comoros	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.03%
57	Madagascar	-	-	-	-	-	-	6.03%
58	New Zealand	5.98%	5.94%	6.43%	6.41%	6.01%	-	6.01%
59	Kyrgyzstan	6.67%	6.01%	6.27%	5.98%	-	-	5.98%
60	Austria	5.74%	5.73%	6.03%	5.94%	-	-	5.94%
61	Spain	5.44%	5.48%	6.26%	5.94%	-	-	5.94%
62	Peru	6.75%	6.76%	6.67%	5.63%	5.35%	5.93%	5.93%
63	Germany	5.43%	5.56%	5.99%	5.86%	-	-	5.86%
64	Cape Verde	-	5.74%	-	-	-	-	5.74%
65	Ukraine	6.1%	6.15%	6.07%	5.74%	-	-	5.74%
66	Argentina	5.85%	5.69%	-	-	-	-	5.69%
67	France	5.66%	5.61%	5.91%	5.69%	-	-	5.69%
68	Hong Kong	5.02%	5.79%	6.75%	5.69%	5.88%	5.61%	5.61%
69	Poland	5.28%	5.39%	5.61%	5.58%	-	-	5.58%
70	El Salvador	6.85%	6.55%	6.37%	5.51%	4.48%	5.54%	5.54%
71	Hungary	5.51%	5.14%	5.01%	5.49%	-	-	5.49%
72	Maldives	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.49%
73	Bulgaria	4.82%	4.92%	5.32%	5.44%	-	-	5.44%
74	Sri Lanka	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.43%
75	Mali	-	5.41%	-	-	-	-	5.41%
76	Uganda	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.37%
77	Mexico	-	-	5.59%	5.35%	-	-	5.35%
78	Belarus	5.23%	5.39%	5.26%	5.03%	4.97%	5.29%	5.29%
79	Pakistan	-	5.28%	-	-	-	-	5.28%
80	Switzerland	5.26%	5.23%	5.49%	5.28%	-	-	5.28%
81	Bangladesh	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.26%
82	Ivory Coast	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.23%
83	Cambodia	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.2%
84	Czech Republic	4.64%	4.9%	5.1%	5.17%	-	-	5.17%
85	Estonia	4.88%	5.2%	5.42%	5.17%	-	-	5.17%
86	Guatemala	5.06%	5.08%	5.18%	5.03%	5.15%	-	5.15%
87	Malaysia	5.69%	5.4%	5.15%	-	-	-	5.15%
88	Panama	5.15%	-	-	-	-	-	5.15%
89	Slovakia	4.52%	4.77%	5.19%	5.14%	-	-	5.14%
90	Latvia	4.77%	4.98%	5.44%	5.09%	-	-	5.09%
91	Uruguay	-	-	-	-	-	-	5.01%
92	Paraguay	-	-	-	-	-	-	5%
93	Armenia	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.97%
94	Canada	5.3%	5.24%	5.9%	4.96%	-	-	4.96%
95	Gambia	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.93%
96	Myanmar	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.93%
97	Uzbekistan	-	-	-	4.9%	-	-	4.9%
98	Cook Islands	-	-	-	-	4.84%	-	4.84%
99	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4.3%	4.73%	-	4.83%	-	-	4.83%
100	Italy	4.99%	4.75%	5.08%	4.83%	-	-	4.83%
101	Greece	4.8%	4.77%	-	-	-	-	4.77%
102	Türkiye	5.49%	5.72%	5.16%	4.67%	-	-	4.67%
103	Barbados	-	5.48%	6.89%	6.14%	4.82%	4.62%	4.62%
104	Lithuania	4.17%	4.2%	4.69%	4.46%	-	-	4.46%
105	Japan	4.09%	4.18%	4.46%	4.3%	-	-	4.3%
106	Chad	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.29%
107	Croatia	-	-	4.57%	4.26%	-	-	4.26%
108	Azerbaijan	3.3%	4.07%	5.22%	4.43%	4.23%	-	4.23%
109	Russia	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.2%
110	Serbia	4.43%	4.4%	4.32%	3.97%	3.85%	-	3.85%
111	Luxembourg	3.79%	3.87%	3.98%	3.84%	-	-	3.84%
112	Georgia	-	3.88%	-	3.62%	3.79%	3.78%	3.78%
113	Andorra	3.8%	3.73%	-	-	-	-	3.73%
114	Cameroon	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.7%
115	Sudan	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.6%
116	Malawi	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.53%
117	Ireland	3.85%	3.82%	3.75%	3.46%	-	-	3.46%
118	Bahrain	-	-	-	-	-	-	3.36%
119	Romania	3.34%	3.59%	3.6%	3.34%	-	-	3.34%
120	Kazakhstan	3.1%	3.02%	-	-	-	-	3.02%
121	Guinea	4.01%	-	3%	-	-	-	3%
122	Bermuda	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.82%
123	Iran	3.73%	3.42%	2.82%	-	-	-	2.82%
124	Liechtenstein	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.76%
125	Guyana	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.66%
126	Monaco	-	1.28%	-	1.45%	1.2%	-	1.2%

Methodology and Data Sources

This analysis uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) modelled estimates of public, household, and ODA education expenditure. Modelled estimates provide consistent, comparable data across countries by using statistical techniques to fill gaps in reported data and account for different reporting methodologies. The data reflects the most recent available years for each country, typically spanning 2018-2023, with 2026 projections calculated through country-specific assessment.

Public, household, and ODA education expenditure as a percentage of GDP is calculated as: (Total education expenditure from public, household, and ODA sources / Gross Domestic Product) × 100. The projection methodology examines each country's historical combined education spending trajectory across multiple years, considers the country's economic development level and education system characteristics, and applies contextual factors to estimate 2026 values. For countries with limited recent data (1-2 data points), projections are based on the most recent available value as a baseline, with consideration for the country's development trajectory and education investment patterns. For countries with very old data or single historical data points, projections incorporate regional benchmarks and comparable country analysis to estimate realistic 2026 values. All projections are constrained to realistic ranges based on country circumstances and historical patterns. This approach allows for meaningful comparisons between countries with different education financing models and development levels, though it is important to note that these are statistical estimates rather than direct observations.

Data quality varies across countries. Some countries have consistent annual data spanning multiple years, allowing for reliable trend analysis. Other countries have limited data points or older data, requiring assessment based on regional benchmarks and comparable country analysis. Countries with methodology changes in their reporting are analyzed using only post-change data to ensure consistency. For countries with single data points, the value is used as a baseline with contextual adjustment for country development level. These contextual factors are used qualitatively to inform projection direction and magnitude, not as precise quantitative inputs.