International Funding for Education (% of GDP) by Country (2026)

International education expenditure as a percentage of GDP reflects the financial commitment of countries to international education cooperation, foreign aid for education, and cross-border educational investments. This metric measures the share of a country's total economic output dedicated to international education initiatives, including bilateral and multilateral education assistance, international student support programs, and educational partnerships with other nations. Countries with higher international education spending demonstrate commitment to global education development and international cooperation in building human capital across borders. Understanding international education spending across countries reveals important differences in global education cooperation and the role of developed nations in supporting education in developing countries.

Understanding International Education Expenditure

International education expenditure measures the percentage of a country's GDP spent on international education cooperation and foreign education assistance. This includes bilateral education aid to developing countries, contributions to multilateral education organizations, international student support programs, and educational partnerships and exchanges with other nations. High international education spending indicates that countries prioritize global education development and view education cooperation as essential for international development. Low international education spending suggests that countries focus primarily on domestic education needs or have limited resources for international education initiatives.

International education expenditure as a percentage of GDP reflects both the absolute amount countries invest in international education and the size of their economies. A country where international education spending represents 0.5% of GDP may have very different international education engagement than a country where it represents 0.05% of GDP, even if absolute spending amounts are similar. This metric reveals the priority countries place on international education cooperation and their commitment to supporting education development globally. It also indicates whether countries view education as a tool for international development and diplomatic engagement.

International Funding for Education (% of GDP) by Country (2026)

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#	Country	2026 Estimate (%)
1	Nauru NR	9.07%
2	Tuvalu TV	6.37%
3	Micronesia FM	4.66%
4	Marshall Islands MH	3.72%
5	Tonga TO	2.43%
6	Timor-Leste TL	2.21%
7	Guinea-Bissau GW	2.15%
8	Vanuatu VU	2.15%
9	Andorra AD	1.81%
10	Samoa WS	1.63%
11	Sao Tome and Principe ST	1.51%
12	Liberia LR	1.48%
13	Comoros KM	1.45%
14	Afghanistan AF	1.44%
15	Rwanda RW	1.42%
16	Mozambique MZ	1.34%
17	Malawi MW	1.29%
18	Gambia GM	1.28%
19	Solomon Islands SB	1.22%
20	Kyrgyzstan KG	0.9%
21	Senegal SN	0.83%
22	Venezuela VE	0.82%
23	Niger NE	0.73%
24	South Sudan SS	0.63%
25	Nepal NP	0.62%
26	Central African Republic CF	0.61%
27	Namibia NA	0.58%
28	Djibouti DJ	0.57%
29	Laos LA	0.57%
30	Burundi BI	0.56%
31	Mauritania MR	0.56%
32	Albania AL	0.55%
33	Burkina Faso BF	0.55%
34	Cambodia KH	0.54%
35	Tajikistan TJ	0.54%
36	Haiti HT	0.52%
37	Palestine PS	0.52%
38	Mali ML	0.5%
39	Estonia EE	0.46%
40	Mongolia MN	0.46%
41	Greece GR	0.42%
42	Benin BJ	0.41%
43	Chad TD	0.4%
44	Uganda UG	0.4%
45	Togo TG	0.39%
46	Madagascar MG	0.38%
47	Guinea GN	0.36%
48	Morocco MA	0.35%
49	Yemen YE	0.34%
50	Tanzania TZ	0.33%
51	DR Congo CD	0.32%
52	Jordan JO	0.32%
53	Slovakia SK	0.32%
54	Ivory Coast CI	0.31%
55	Palau PW	0.31%
56	Ethiopia ET	0.3%
57	Lithuania LT	0.3%
58	Eswatini SZ	0.28%
59	Georgia GE	0.26%
60	Guyana GY	0.26%
61	Bhutan BT	0.25%
62	Cameroon CM	0.25%
63	Latvia LV	0.24%
64	Tunisia TN	0.24%
65	Belize BZ	0.23%
66	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	0.22%
67	Fiji FJ	0.22%
68	Congo CG	0.21%
69	Myanmar MM	0.21%
70	Seychelles SC	0.21%
71	Papua New Guinea PG	0.2%
72	Dominica DM	0.19%
73	Nicaragua NI	0.18%
74	Romania RO	0.17%
75	Saint Lucia LC	0.17%
76	Lesotho LS	0.16%
77	Serbia RS	0.16%
78	Kenya KE	0.15%
79	Poland PL	0.15%
80	Slovenia SI	0.15%
81	Zambia ZM	0.15%
82	Ghana GH	0.14%
83	Honduras HN	0.14%
84	Pakistan PK	0.14%
85	Portugal PT	0.13%
86	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VC	0.13%
87	Suriname SR	0.13%
88	Guatemala GT	0.12%
89	Lebanon LB	0.12%
90	Spain ES	0.12%
91	Bangladesh BD	0.11%
92	Egypt EG	0.11%
93	Luxembourg LU	0.11%
94	Angola AO	0.1%
95	Belgium BE	0.1%
96	Cyprus CY	0.1%
97	Mauritius MU	0.1%
98	Sri Lanka LK	0.1%
99	Finland FI	0.09%
100	North Macedonia MK	0.09%
101	Ukraine UA	0.09%
102	Belarus BY	0.08%
103	Denmark DK	0.08%
104	Maldives MV	0.08%
105	Trinidad and Tobago TT	0.08%
106	Uzbekistan UZ	0.08%
107	Algeria DZ	0.07%
108	Bulgaria BG	0.07%
109	Czech Republic CZ	0.07%
110	Grenada GD	0.07%
111	Moldova MD	0.07%
112	Panama PA	0.07%
113	Sweden SE	0.07%
114	Vietnam VN	0.07%
115	Botswana BW	0.06%
116	Cape Verde CV	0.06%
117	Italy IT	0.06%
118	Syria SY	0.06%
119	Azerbaijan AZ	0.05%
120	Iceland IS	0.05%
121	Netherlands NL	0.05%
122	Colombia CO	0.04%
123	Cook Islands CK	0.04%
124	Iran IR	0.04%
125	Nigeria NG	0.04%
126	Sierra Leone SL	0.04%
127	France FR	0.03%
128	Germany DE	0.03%
129	Indonesia ID	0.03%
130	Kazakhstan KZ	0.03%
131	Sudan SD	0.03%
132	Switzerland CH	0.03%
133	Türkiye TR	0.03%
134	Uruguay UY	0.03%
135	Antigua and Barbuda AG	0.02%
136	Argentina AR	0.02%
137	Bolivia BO	0.02%
138	Costa Rica CR	0.02%
139	Ecuador EC	0.02%
140	Gabon GA	0.02%
141	India IN	0.02%
142	Jamaica JM	0.02%
143	Malta MT	0.02%
144	Norway NO	0.02%
145	Peru PE	0.02%
146	Armenia AM	0.01%
147	Brazil BR	0.01%
148	Chile CL	0.01%
149	Dominican Republic DO	0.01%
150	El Salvador SV	0.01%
151	Eritrea ER	0.01%
152	Hungary HU	0.01%
153	Malaysia MY	0.01%
154	Paraguay PY	0.01%
155	Russia RU	0.01%
156	South Africa ZA	0.01%
157	Turkmenistan TM	0.01%
158	Aruba AW	0%
159	Bahrain BH	0%
160	Barbados BB	0%
161	British Virgin Islands VG	0%
162	Canada CA	0%
163	Croatia HR	0%
164	Ireland IE	0%
165	Israel IL	0%
166	Liechtenstein LI	0%
167	Mexico MX	0%
168	Oman OM	0%
169	Philippines PH	0%
170	Saint Kitts and Nevis KN	0%
171	Saudi Arabia SA	0%
172	Thailand TH	0%
173	Turks and Caicos Islands TC	0%
174	United Kingdom GB	0%

Global Patterns in International Education Spending

International education expenditure varies significantly across countries, reflecting different approaches to international cooperation and development assistance. Developed nations typically show international education spending between 0.05-0.3% of GDP, reflecting established education aid programs and international partnerships. Many developing countries show lower international education spending, between 0.01-0.1% of GDP, indicating limited resources for international education initiatives. Some countries show higher international education spending, suggesting strong commitment to international education cooperation and development assistance.

Countries with strong international education programs and active development assistance show higher international education spending. Advanced economies with established education aid programs and international partnerships show international education spending above 0.1% of GDP. Countries with emerging international education engagement show lower spending but growing trends. Regional patterns reflect broader development differences, with developed regions showing higher international education spending than developing regions. This creates differences in international education cooperation capacity and the availability of education assistance across countries.

International Education Cooperation and Development Impact

International education spending significantly affects education development in recipient countries and global education cooperation. In countries where governments invest substantially in international education, students and educators have access to international partnerships, exchange programs, and educational cooperation opportunities. This creates knowledge transfer, capacity building, and improved education quality through international collaboration. International education investment also reflects commitment to global education development and support for education in less developed countries.

Conversely, countries with low international education spending often have limited international education partnerships and fewer opportunities for international cooperation. These countries may have less developed international education networks and fewer resources for supporting education in other countries. Increasing international education spending through expanded aid programs, partnerships, and cooperation is essential for improving global education development, particularly in developing countries where education resources are limited. International education cooperation can expand educational opportunities and support sustainable development through education.

2026 Projections and Methodology

Projections for 2026 show varied changes in international education spending globally. Some countries show increasing international education engagement as they expand development assistance and international partnerships. Others show stable or declining international education spending as economic conditions change or development priorities shift. Overall, international education spending remains relatively modest compared to domestic education spending, suggesting that countries view international education as a supplementary rather than primary education financing source in most cases.

The 2026 estimates are calculated through individual country assessment based on historical data patterns spanning multiple years, economic development trajectories, and international education engagement 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 development assistance priorities, where economic growth may increase international education investment, and fiscal constraints, where budget pressures may reduce international education spending. These are scenario-based projections representing likely directions and magnitudes of change, not official forecasts or precise predictions.

International Funding for Education (% of GDP) by Country (2026)

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#	Country	2019 (%)	2020 (%)	2021 (%)	2022 (%)	2023 (%)	2024 (%)	2026 Estimate (%)
1	Nauru	-	-	-	-	-	-	9.07%
2	Tuvalu	-	-	-	-	6.37%	-	6.37%
3	Micronesia	-	-	-	-	-	-	4.66%
4	Marshall Islands	2.29%	-	-	3.72%	-	-	3.72%
5	Tonga	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.43%
6	Timor-Leste	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.21%
7	Guinea-Bissau	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.15%
8	Vanuatu	2.21%	2.15%	-	-	-	-	2.15%
9	Andorra	-	-	-	2.29%	1.81%	-	1.81%
10	Samoa	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.63%
11	Sao Tome and Principe	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.51%
12	Liberia	-	-	1.48%	-	-	-	1.48%
13	Comoros	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.45%
14	Afghanistan	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.44%
15	Rwanda	-	-	1.31%	1.3%	1.42%	-	1.42%
16	Mozambique	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.34%
17	Malawi	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.29%
18	Gambia	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.28%
19	Solomon Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.22%
20	Kyrgyzstan	0.76%	0.99%	0.9%	-	-	-	0.9%
21	Senegal	0.71%	0.68%	0.67%	0.83%	-	-	0.83%
22	Venezuela	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.82%
23	Niger	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.73%
24	South Sudan	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.63%
25	Nepal	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.62%
26	Central African Republic	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.61%
27	Namibia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.58%
28	Djibouti	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.57%
29	Laos	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.57%
30	Burundi	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.56%
31	Mauritania	0.44%	0.31%	0.36%	-	0.56%	-	0.56%
32	Albania	0.35%	0.58%	0.45%	0.55%	-	-	0.55%
33	Burkina Faso	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.55%
34	Cambodia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.54%
35	Tajikistan	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.54%
36	Haiti	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.52%
37	Palestine	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.52%
38	Mali	0.74%	0.52%	0.5%	-	-	-	0.5%
39	Estonia	0.01%	0.01%	0%	0.46%	-	-	0.46%
40	Mongolia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.46%
41	Greece	0%	-	-	0.42%	-	-	0.42%
42	Benin	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.41%
43	Chad	-	-	0.4%	-	-	-	0.4%
44	Uganda	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.4%
45	Togo	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.39%
46	Madagascar	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.38%
47	Guinea	0.38%	0.36%	-	-	-	-	0.36%
48	Morocco	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.35%
49	Yemen	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.34%
50	Tanzania	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.33%
51	DR Congo	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.32%
52	Jordan	0.4%	0.53%	1.2%	0.2%	0.32%	-	0.32%
53	Slovakia	0%	0%	0%	0.32%	-	-	0.32%
54	Ivory Coast	0.08%	0.17%	0.46%	0.48%	0.31%	-	0.31%
55	Palau	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.31%
56	Ethiopia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.3%
57	Lithuania	0%	0%	0%	0.3%	-	-	0.3%
58	Eswatini	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.28%
59	Georgia	0.37%	-	0.57%	0.23%	0.26%	-	0.26%
60	Guyana	-	0.06%	0.09%	0.13%	0.26%	-	0.26%
61	Bhutan	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.25%
62	Cameroon	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.25%
63	Latvia	0%	0%	0%	0.24%	-	-	0.24%
64	Tunisia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.24%
65	Belize	0.11%	0.2%	0.12%	0.13%	0.23%	-	0.23%
66	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.24%	0.25%	0.22%	-	-	-	0.22%
67	Fiji	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.22%
68	Congo	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.21%
69	Myanmar	0.21%	-	-	-	-	-	0.21%
70	Seychelles	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.21%
71	Papua New Guinea	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.2%
72	Dominica	0.15%	0.19%	-	-	-	-	0.19%
73	Nicaragua	-	-	-	-	0.18%	-	0.18%
74	Romania	0%	0%	0%	0.17%	-	-	0.17%
75	Saint Lucia	0.07%	0.12%	-	0.17%	0.17%	-	0.17%
76	Lesotho	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.16%
77	Serbia	0.14%	0.13%	0.13%	0.16%	-	-	0.16%
78	Kenya	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.15%
79	Poland	0%	0%	0%	0.15%	-	-	0.15%
80	Slovenia	0%	0%	0%	0.15%	-	-	0.15%
81	Zambia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.15%
82	Ghana	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.14%
83	Honduras	-	-	-	-	0.14%	-	0.14%
84	Pakistan	0.14%	-	-	-	-	-	0.14%
85	Portugal	0%	0%	0%	0.13%	-	-	0.13%
86	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.13%
87	Suriname	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.13%
88	Guatemala	0.1%	0.09%	0.07%	0.11%	0.12%	-	0.12%
89	Lebanon	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.12%
90	Spain	0%	0%	0%	0.12%	-	-	0.12%
91	Bangladesh	0.2%	0.11%	-	-	-	-	0.11%
92	Egypt	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.11%
93	Luxembourg	0%	0%	0%	0.11%	-	-	0.11%
94	Angola	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.1%
95	Belgium	0%	0%	0%	0.1%	-	-	0.1%
96	Cyprus	0%	0%	0%	0.1%	-	-	0.1%
97	Mauritius	0.1%	0.11%	0.12%	0.1%	0.1%	-	0.1%
98	Sri Lanka	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.1%
99	Finland	0%	0%	0%	0.09%	-	-	0.09%
100	North Macedonia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.09%
101	Ukraine	0.12%	0.12%	0.09%	-	-	-	0.09%
102	Belarus	0.07%	0.07%	0.08%	0.07%	0.08%	-	0.08%
103	Denmark	0%	0%	0%	0.08%	-	-	0.08%
104	Maldives	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.08%
105	Trinidad and Tobago	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.08%
106	Uzbekistan	-	0.09%	0.08%	-	-	-	0.08%
107	Algeria	-	-	-	-	0.07%	-	0.07%
108	Bulgaria	0%	0%	0%	0.07%	-	-	0.07%
109	Czech Republic	0%	0%	0%	0.07%	-	-	0.07%
110	Grenada	-	-	-	-	0.07%	-	0.07%
111	Moldova	0.06%	0.08%	0.07%	0.06%	0.07%	-	0.07%
112	Panama	0.01%	0.09%	0.05%	0.07%	-	-	0.07%
113	Sweden	0%	0%	0%	0.07%	-	-	0.07%
114	Vietnam	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.07%
115	Botswana	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.06%
116	Cape Verde	0.06%	-	-	-	-	-	0.06%
117	Italy	0%	0%	0%	0.06%	-	-	0.06%
118	Syria	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.06%
119	Azerbaijan	0.09%	0.09%	0.1%	0.05%	-	-	0.05%
120	Iceland	0%	0%	0%	0.05%	-	-	0.05%
121	Netherlands	0%	0%	0%	0.05%	-	-	0.05%
122	Colombia	0.03%	0.04%	-	-	-	-	0.04%
123	Cook Islands	-	-	-	0.01%	0.55%	0.04%	0.04%
124	Iran	0.05%	0.06%	-	0.04%	-	-	0.04%
125	Nigeria	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.04%
126	Sierra Leone	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.04%
127	France	0%	0%	0%	0.03%	-	-	0.03%
128	Germany	0%	0%	0%	0.03%	-	-	0.03%
129	Indonesia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.03%
130	Kazakhstan	0.03%	-	-	-	-	-	0.03%
131	Sudan	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.03%
132	Switzerland	0%	0%	0%	0.03%	-	-	0.03%
133	Türkiye	0.03%	0.07%	0.06%	0.03%	-	-	0.03%
134	Uruguay	0.04%	0.04%	0.03%	0%	0.03%	-	0.03%
135	Antigua and Barbuda	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.02%
136	Argentina	0.02%	0.06%	0.02%	0.02%	-	-	0.02%
137	Bolivia	0.04%	0.01%	0.01%	0.02%	-	-	0.02%
138	Costa Rica	0.06%	0.02%	0.02%	-	-	-	0.02%
139	Ecuador	0.06%	0.09%	0.03%	0.08%	0.02%	-	0.02%
140	Gabon	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.02%
141	India	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%	-	-	-	0.02%
142	Jamaica	0.05%	-	0%	0.02%	-	-	0.02%
143	Malta	0%	-	0%	0.02%	-	-	0.02%
144	Norway	0%	0%	0%	0.02%	-	-	0.02%
145	Peru	0.1%	0.14%	0.11%	0.01%	0.02%	-	0.02%
146	Armenia	-	0.13%	0.05%	0.03%	0.01%	-	0.01%
147	Brazil	0.02%	0.01%	0.01%	-	-	-	0.01%
148	Chile	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.01%
149	Dominican Republic	0.03%	0.04%	-	0.01%	0.01%	-	0.01%
150	El Salvador	0.18%	0.26%	0.78%	0.09%	0.01%	-	0.01%
151	Eritrea	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.01%
152	Hungary	0%	0%	0%	0.01%	-	-	0.01%
153	Malaysia	0.01%	0.01%	-	-	-	-	0.01%
154	Paraguay	-	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	-	0.01%
155	Russia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.01%
156	South Africa	0.02%	0.02%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	-	0.01%
157	Turkmenistan	0.02%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	-	0.01%
158	Aruba	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
159	Bahrain	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
160	Barbados	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
161	British Virgin Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
162	Canada	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
163	Croatia	0.01%	0%	0%	-	-	-	0%
164	Ireland	0%	0%	0%	-	-	-	0%
165	Israel	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
166	Liechtenstein	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
167	Mexico	0.01%	0.02%	0.01%	0%	-	-	0%
168	Oman	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
169	Philippines	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
170	Saint Kitts and Nevis	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
171	Saudi Arabia	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
172	Thailand	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
173	Turks and Caicos Islands	-	-	-	-	-	-	0%
174	United Kingdom	0%	0%	0%	-	-	-	0%

Methodology and Data Sources

This analysis uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) modelled estimates of international 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 2019-2024, with 2026 projections calculated through country-specific assessment.

International education expenditure as a percentage of GDP is calculated as: (Total international education expenditure / Gross Domestic Product) × 100. The projection methodology examines each country's historical international education spending trajectory across multiple years, considers the country's economic development level and international education engagement, 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 international education engagement 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 international education priorities and development assistance models, 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.