United States—Education Spending (% of GDP)
United States's education spending (% of GDP) was 5.4% in 2021, ranking #39 out of 181 countries. This represents a +0.5% change from 2020. Over the past 7 years, the highest recorded value was 5.4% (2021) and the lowest was 4.8% (2016). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5.4% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +8.8% |
| 2019 | 5.0% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 4.9% | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 5.1% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 4.8% | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 4.9% |
Top Countries — Education Spending (% of GDP)
| # | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiribati | 16.4% | 2023 |
| 2 | Tuvalu | 12.8% | 2023 |
| 3 | Namibia | 9.1% | 2024 |
| 4 | Algeria | 9.0% | 2024 |
| 5 | Cuba | 8.4% | 2022 |
| 6 | Solomon Islands | 8.3% | 2023 |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 7.7% | 2022 |
| 8 | Vanuatu | 7.6% | 2024 |
| 9 | Mauritania | 7.6% | 2024 |
| 10 | Bolivia | 7.5% | 2024 |
About This Indicator
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.
Methodology
Data compiled by 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.
Unit
% of GDP