Capital vs Current Education Expenditure by Country
Country values compare the share of direct expenditure in public educational institutions used for recurring costs with the residual share assigned to capital expenditure. The current share is reported by UNESCO UIS through the World Bank; the capital share is calculated as 100 minus the reported current share.
Spending Composition Snapshot
Summary values use each country or economy’s latest available observation. Reference years differ.
Largest Derived Capital Shares in Recent Reports
The visual is limited to systems whose latest observation falls in 2022–2024. The full table retains every country or economy with source data.
Current and Capital Shares for the 20 Highest Recent Capital Values
Each stacked bar totals 100 percent of direct expenditure in public educational institutions.
Capital share is derived from the unrounded source value. Displayed country values are rounded to one decimal place elsewhere in the dataset.
Chart analysis
- Georgia has the highest recent derived capital share at 61.8% in 2023; its reported current share is 38.2%.
- Monaco follows at 46.5% capital in 2024.
- Six recent observations allocate at least 20% of direct institutional expenditure to the derived capital component: Georgia, Monaco, Sierra Leone, Cayman Islands, Peru, and Rwanda.
- Georgia is the only system in the 20-country visual where the derived capital share exceeds the reported current share.
- The twentieth value in the visual is the Netherlands at 11.4% capital in 2022.
- A high one-year capital share records spending composition for that financial year; it does not measure the size of the education budget.
Full Country Table: Current and Derived Capital Expenditure Shares
Rank is based on the derived capital share from each system’s latest available observation. The reference year should remain part of any comparison.
| Rank | Country | Current % | Capital % | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 38.2% | 61.8% | 2023 |
| 2 | Guinea-Bissau | 49.2% | 50.8% | 2013 |
| 3 | Monaco | 53.5% | 46.5% | 2024 |
| 4 | Gambia, The | 57.8% | 42.2% | 2012 |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 61.7% | 38.3% | 2014 |
| 6 | Burkina Faso | 64.7% | 35.3% | 2007 |
| 7 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 65.2% | 34.8% | 2021 |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 71.0% | 29.0% | 2019 |
| 9 | Yemen, Rep. | 74.3% | 25.7% | 2008 |
| 10 | Myanmar | 74.6% | 25.4% | 2019 |
| 11 | Sri Lanka | 74.7% | 25.3% | 2018 |
| 12 | Pakistan | 75.4% | 24.6% | 2013 |
| 13 | Sierra Leone | 75.5% | 24.5% | 2022 |
| 14 | Angola | 75.7% | 24.3% | 2006 |
| 15 | Cayman Islands | 75.8% | 24.2% | 2023 |
| 16 | Chad | 78.1% | 21.9% | 2012 |
| 17 | Viet Nam | 78.1% | 21.9% | 2013 |
| 18 | Peru | 78.5% | 21.5% | 2024 |
| 19 | Rwanda | 79.0% | 21.0% | 2024 |
| 20 | United Arab Emirates | 79.5% | 20.5% | 2021 |
| 21 | Afghanistan | 80.4% | 19.6% | 2015 |
| 22 | Eritrea | 80.4% | 19.6% | 2006 |
| 23 | Belize | 80.7% | 19.3% | 2003 |
| 24 | Mozambique | 80.7% | 19.3% | 2013 |
| 25 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 81.2% | 18.8% | 2018 |
| 26 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 81.8% | 18.2% | 2012 |
| 27 | Dominican Republic | 82.4% | 17.6% | 2007 |
| 28 | Albania | 82.5% | 17.5% | 2023 |
| 29 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 83.1% | 16.9% | 2013 |
| 30 | Korea, Rep. | 83.8% | 16.2% | 2022 |
| 31 | China | 84.0% | 16.0% | 2023 |
| 32 | Macao SAR, China | 84.2% | 15.8% | 2023 |
| 33 | Cote d'Ivoire | 84.4% | 15.6% | 2024 |
| 34 | Lao PDR | 85.0% | 15.0% | 2014 |
| 35 | Qatar | 85.1% | 14.9% | 2019 |
| 36 | Guyana | 85.4% | 14.6% | 2012 |
| 37 | Panama | 85.9% | 14.1% | 2008 |
| 38 | Oman | 85.9% | 14.1% | 2024 |
| 39 | Bhutan | 86.0% | 14.0% | 2015 |
| 40 | Nicaragua | 86.0% | 14.0% | 2023 |
| 41 | Tajikistan | 86.0% | 14.0% | 2015 |
| 42 | Greece | 86.1% | 13.9% | 2022 |
| 43 | Cameroon | 86.4% | 13.6% | 2013 |
| 44 | Mauritius | 86.5% | 13.5% | 2010 |
| 45 | Japan | 87.4% | 12.6% | 2021 |
| 46 | Uganda | 87.4% | 12.6% | 2014 |
| 47 | Turkiye | 87.8% | 12.2% | 2022 |
| 48 | Malta | 87.9% | 12.1% | 2022 |
| 49 | El Salvador | 88.0% | 12.0% | 2024 |
| 50 | Estonia | 88.1% | 11.9% | 2022 |
| 51 | Indonesia | 88.1% | 11.9% | 2015 |
| 52 | Senegal | 88.6% | 11.4% | 2022 |
| 53 | Netherlands | 88.6% | 11.4% | 2022 |
| 54 | Liberia | 88.8% | 11.2% | 2008 |
| 55 | Norway | 88.9% | 11.1% | 2022 |
| 56 | Nepal | 89.0% | 11.0% | 2015 |
| 57 | South Sudan | 89.3% | 10.7% | 2024 |
| 58 | Switzerland | 89.4% | 10.6% | 2016 |
| 59 | Tunisia | 89.6% | 10.4% | 2010 |
| 60 | Slovenia | 89.7% | 10.3% | 2022 |
| 61 | Latvia | 89.9% | 10.1% | 2022 |
| 62 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 89.9% | 10.1% | 2022 |
| 63 | Israel | 90.0% | 10.0% | 2022 |
| 64 | Luxembourg | 90.0% | 10.0% | 2022 |
| 65 | Botswana | 90.2% | 9.8% | 2009 |
| 66 | Germany | 90.2% | 9.8% | 2022 |
| 67 | United States | 90.4% | 9.6% | 2021 |
| 68 | Jordan | 90.5% | 9.5% | 2024 |
| 69 | Grenada | 90.5% | 9.5% | 2003 |
| 70 | Canada | 90.6% | 9.4% | 2022 |
| 71 | Morocco | 90.7% | 9.3% | 1999 |
| 72 | Kyrgyz Republic | 90.9% | 9.1% | 2021 |
| 73 | Finland | 91.0% | 9.0% | 2022 |
| 74 | France | 91.0% | 9.0% | 2022 |
| 75 | Algeria | 91.0% | 9.0% | 2024 |
| 76 | Czechia | 91.1% | 8.9% | 2022 |
| 77 | Mongolia | 91.1% | 8.9% | 2017 |
| 78 | Moldova | 91.2% | 8.8% | 2023 |
| 79 | Ghana | 91.4% | 8.6% | 2014 |
| 80 | Azerbaijan | 91.6% | 8.4% | 2023 |
| 81 | Benin | 91.7% | 8.3% | 2015 |
| 82 | Philippines | 91.8% | 8.2% | 2009 |
| 83 | Singapore | 91.8% | 8.2% | 2013 |
| 84 | Armenia | 92.0% | 8.0% | 2023 |
| 85 | Hungary | 92.0% | 8.0% | 2022 |
| 86 | Zambia | 92.2% | 7.8% | 2016 |
| 87 | Austria | 92.2% | 7.8% | 2022 |
| 88 | Kuwait | 92.3% | 7.7% | 2005 |
| 89 | United Kingdom | 92.3% | 7.7% | 2021 |
| 90 | Russian Federation | 92.4% | 7.6% | 2018 |
| 91 | Slovak Republic | 92.5% | 7.5% | 2022 |
| 92 | Kenya | 92.5% | 7.5% | 2015 |
| 93 | Namibia | 92.6% | 7.4% | 2014 |
| 94 | Poland | 92.7% | 7.3% | 2022 |
| 95 | Bulgaria | 92.8% | 7.2% | 2022 |
| 96 | Spain | 93.0% | 7.0% | 2022 |
| 97 | Dominica | 93.1% | 6.9% | 2023 |
| 98 | Romania | 93.2% | 6.8% | 2022 |
| 99 | Denmark | 93.2% | 6.8% | 2022 |
| 100 | Belarus | 93.4% | 6.6% | 2024 |
| 101 | Lithuania | 93.6% | 6.4% | 2022 |
| 102 | Sweden | 93.7% | 6.3% | 2022 |
| 103 | American Samoa | 93.8% | 6.2% | 2006 |
| 104 | Bolivia | 94.3% | 5.7% | 2024 |
| 105 | Iceland | 94.3% | 5.7% | 2022 |
| 106 | Thailand | 94.3% | 5.7% | 2014 |
| 107 | Malaysia | 94.4% | 5.6% | 2021 |
| 108 | Croatia | 94.4% | 5.6% | 2021 |
| 109 | Trinidad and Tobago | 94.5% | 5.5% | 2023 |
| 110 | Uruguay | 94.5% | 5.5% | 2023 |
| 111 | Liechtenstein | 94.6% | 5.4% | 2011 |
| 112 | Seychelles | 94.8% | 5.2% | 2016 |
| 113 | Antigua and Barbuda | 94.8% | 5.2% | 2009 |
| 114 | Italy | 95.0% | 5.0% | 2022 |
| 115 | Chile | 95.1% | 4.9% | 2022 |
| 116 | Cabo Verde | 95.1% | 4.9% | 2016 |
| 117 | India | 95.2% | 4.8% | 2005 |
| 118 | Brazil | 95.3% | 4.7% | 2022 |
| 119 | Honduras | 95.3% | 4.7% | 2013 |
| 120 | Puerto Rico (US) | 95.4% | 4.6% | 2014 |
| 121 | Djibouti | 95.4% | 4.6% | 2007 |
| 122 | Belgium | 95.4% | 4.6% | 2022 |
| 123 | Eswatini | 95.5% | 4.5% | 2014 |
| 124 | Argentina | 95.9% | 4.1% | 2023 |
| 125 | Timor-Leste | 96.0% | 4.0% | 2014 |
| 126 | Portugal | 96.0% | 4.0% | 2022 |
| 127 | Bahrain | 96.2% | 3.8% | 2012 |
| 128 | Barbados | 96.2% | 3.8% | 2023 |
| 129 | Ukraine | 96.2% | 3.8% | 2021 |
| 130 | Cyprus | 96.3% | 3.7% | 2022 |
| 131 | Guatemala | 96.3% | 3.7% | 2024 |
| 132 | Paraguay | 96.5% | 3.5% | 2024 |
| 133 | Gibraltar | 96.5% | 3.5% | 2017 |
| 134 | Lesotho | 96.5% | 3.5% | 2018 |
| 135 | Brunei Darussalam | 96.8% | 3.2% | 2016 |
| 136 | Ecuador | 96.9% | 3.1% | 2024 |
| 137 | Madagascar | 96.9% | 3.1% | 2013 |
| 138 | Malawi | 96.9% | 3.1% | 2016 |
| 139 | Costa Rica | 97.1% | 2.9% | 2023 |
| 140 | South Africa | 97.1% | 2.9% | 2024 |
| 141 | Venezuela, RB | 97.1% | 2.9% | 2023 |
| 142 | Serbia | 97.5% | 2.5% | 2023 |
| 143 | Uzbekistan | 97.6% | 2.4% | 2021 |
| 144 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 97.6% | 2.4% | 2021 |
| 145 | Togo | 97.6% | 2.4% | 2016 |
| 146 | West Bank and Gaza | 97.8% | 2.2% | 2021 |
| 147 | Mexico | 97.8% | 2.2% | 2022 |
| 148 | North Macedonia | 97.9% | 2.1% | 2002 |
| 149 | Mali | 98.0% | 2.0% | 2021 |
| 150 | Burundi | 98.1% | 1.9% | 2012 |
| 151 | Bermuda | 98.5% | 1.5% | 2015 |
| 152 | Guinea | 98.6% | 1.4% | 2020 |
| 153 | Andorra | 98.6% | 1.4% | 2023 |
| 154 | St. Lucia | 98.7% | 1.3% | 2023 |
| 155 | Central African Republic | 98.9% | 1.1% | 2010 |
| 156 | Kiribati | 99.0% | 1.0% | 2024 |
| 157 | Cuba | 99.1% | 0.9% | 2010 |
| 158 | Niger | 99.2% | 0.8% | 2018 |
| 159 | Maldives | 99.3% | 0.7% | 2016 |
| 160 | Vanuatu | 99.4% | 0.6% | 2020 |
| 161 | Cambodia | 99.5% | 0.5% | 2014 |
| 162 | Jamaica | 99.5% | 0.5% | 2024 |
| 163 | San Marino | 99.6% | 0.4% | 2023 |
| 164 | Lebanon | 99.8% | 0.2% | 2012 |
| 165 | Turkmenistan | 99.8% | 0.2% | 2023 |
| 166 | Fiji | 99.9% | 0.1% | 2013 |
| 167 | Comoros | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2015 |
| 168 | Aruba | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2016 |
| 169 | British Virgin Islands | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2023 |
| 170 | Curacao | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2013 |
| 171 | Ireland | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2021 |
| 172 | Kazakhstan | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2019 |
| 173 | Marshall Islands | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2022 |
| 174 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2010 |
| 175 | Tuvalu | 100.0% | 0.0% | 2023 |
Table analysis
- The table covers 175 countries and economies with at least one observation in the WDI extract.
- 78 systems have a latest value from 2022–2024; the remaining 97 rely on earlier reference years.
- The median of latest reported current shares is 92.3%; the matching derived capital median is 7.7%.
- Georgia ranks first by latest derived capital share at 61.8% in 2023.
- Guinea-Bissau ranks second at 50.8% in 2013.
- Values of 100.0% current expenditure produce a derived capital value of 0.0%; the rounded result should not be read as proof that no capital transaction occurred outside the indicator’s reported precision.
- Country rank mixes reference years because the source does not provide a common recent year for all systems.
Capital Share Movement Since 2010
The selected systems are the six highest recent capital-share observations among systems with at least seven reported values from 2010 onward. Missing years are not interpolated.
Selected Capital Expenditure Shares, 2010–2024
Derived annual shares show how one-year capital allocations can move sharply.
A gap represents an unreported year, not a zero value. The line chart duplicates source values summarized in the historical table.
Trend analysis
- Monaco moved from 12.6% capital in 2023 to 46.5% in 2024; earlier reported peaks include 42.9% in 2012 and 44.9% in 2022.
- Rwanda reported 38.8% capital in 2023 and 21.0% in 2024.
- Peru remained between 13.4% and 24.4% across its annual 2010–2024 series.
- Sierra Leone reported no more than 2.5% capital during 2010–2014, followed by 22.8% in 2021 and 24.5% in 2022.
- Korea, Rep. rose from 13.8% in 2016 to 18.5% in 2020, then reported 16.2% in 2022.
- Albania reported 6.1% in 2018 and 17.5% in 2023.
- The selected series contain gaps; year-to-year movement should only be read where adjacent observations are reported.
| Country | First year | First capital % | 2015 % | 2020 % | 2022 % | Latest year | Latest capital % | Change from first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monaco | 2010 | 0.9% | 7.8% | Not reported | 44.9% | 2024 | 46.5% | +45.6 pp |
| Sierra Leone | 2010 | 2.5% | Not reported | Not reported | 24.5% | 2022 | 24.5% | +21.9 pp |
| Peru | 2010 | 20.9% | 22.2% | 13.4% | 19.9% | 2024 | 21.5% | +0.6 pp |
| Rwanda | 2010 | 16.1% | 10.8% | Not reported | 37.0% | 2024 | 21.0% | +4.9 pp |
| Albania | 2013 | 8.6% | 8.1% | 11.4% | 10.6% | 2023 | 17.5% | +8.9 pp |
| Korea, Rep. | 2016 | 13.8% | Not reported | 18.5% | 16.2% | 2022 | 16.2% | +2.4 pp |
Table analysis
- The change column compares each system’s latest value with its first reported observation from 2010 onward; starting years are not identical.
- Monaco has the largest positive change in the selected set, while Rwanda’s latest value remains above its 2010 observation despite the decline from 2023.
- Not reported cells remain blank in the source series and are not estimated.
Latest Source-Year Coverage
The reference-year distribution shows why a single global ranking cannot be treated as a same-year comparison.
| Latest observation | Systems | Share of coverage | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17 | 9.7% | Recent |
| 2023 | 23 | 13.1% | Recent |
| 2022 | 38 | 21.7% | Recent |
| 2019–2021 | 20 | 11.4% | Lagged |
| 2015–2018 | 25 | 14.3% | Historical |
| 2010–2014 | 34 | 19.4% | Historical |
| Before 2010 | 18 | 10.3% | Historical |
Source-year analysis
- 78 of 175 systems have latest observations from 2022–2024.
- The largest single-year group is 2022, with 38 systems.
- 18 systems have no observation later than 2009 in the source extract.
- Source-year differences affect rank interpretation more than rounding differences.
Regional Spending Mix for Recent Observations
Regional medians use only countries and economies with a latest observation in 2022–2024. Regions with limited coverage remain visible with their country count.
Median Current and Capital Shares by World Bank Region
Medians reduce the influence of unusually high or low country values.
North America has one recent country observation in this indicator, so its median equals that single value.
Chart analysis
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest recent regional median capital share at 13.5%, based on 6 systems.
- Latin America & Caribbean has the lowest recent regional median capital share at 4.1%, based on 21 systems.
- Europe & Central Asia has the largest recent coverage count and also contains the widest country spread because Georgia and Monaco sit far above several low-capital observations.
- Regional medians describe the reporting sample, not every education system in the region.
| Region | Systems | Median year | Median current % | Median capital % | Capital range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 6 | 2024 | 86.5% | 13.5% | 2.9%–24.5% |
| Middle East & North Africa | 6 | 2023 | 90.0% | 10.0% | 9.0%–14.1% |
| North America | 1 | 2022 | 90.6% | 9.4% | 9.4%–9.4% |
| East Asia & Pacific | 6 | 2023 | 91.6% | 8.4% | 0.0%–16.2% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 38 | 2022 | 92.1% | 7.9% | 0.2%–61.8% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 21 | 2023 | 95.9% | 4.1% | 0.0%–24.2% |
Table analysis
- Coverage ranges from one recent observation in North America to 38 in Europe & Central Asia.
- Sub-Saharan Africa’s six recent observations produce a 13.5% median capital share.
- Latin America & the Caribbean has a 4.1% recent median capital share, while its country range extends from 0.0% to 24.2%.
- Regional ranges show that within-region variation can exceed the difference between regional medians.
Recent Spending Mix by Income Group
Income-group medians use latest observations from 2022–2024 and World Bank classifications in the WDI country metadata.
| Income group | Systems | Median year | Median current % | Median capital % | Capital range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low income | 3 | 2024 | 79.0% | 21.0% | 10.7%–24.5% |
| Lower middle income | 6 | 2023.5 | 91.4% | 8.6% | 1.0%–15.6% |
| High income | 42 | 2022 | 92.3% | 7.7% | 0.0%–46.5% |
| Upper middle income | 27 | 2023 | 93.4% | 6.6% | 0.0%–61.8% |
Spending analysis
- The low-income median is 21.0% capital, but it is based on only 3 recent observations.
- High-income systems have the largest recent coverage count at 42 and a median capital share of 7.7%.
- Income-group medians cannot establish a relationship between national income and education infrastructure investment because coverage and reference years differ.
How the Spending Categories Are Interpreted
The indicator describes composition inside public educational institutions. It does not report total budget size, spending per student, or education outcomes.
Current expenditure
Staff compensation, teaching materials, ancillary services, administration, and other costs consumed during the current year.
Capital expenditure
The residual share linked to assets that provide benefits beyond the current year, including buildings, major renovations, and long-lived equipment.
Excluded transfers
Financial aid to students and other transfers are excluded from the direct-expenditure denominator used by the indicator.
Same percentage, different budgets
Two systems can report the same current-capital split while spending very different amounts per student or as a share of GDP.
One-year movement
Capital projects can create large annual shifts. A latest value should not be treated as a permanent allocation rule.
Rounded zero capital
A reported current share rounded to 100.0% creates a derived 0.0% capital share; underlying accounting detail may be more precise.
Recent Capital-Share Distribution
Among the 78 systems with a latest observation from 2022–2024, 24 fall below 5% capital, 28 fall from 5% to under 10%, 20 fall from 10% to under 20%, and 6 report 20% or more.
Source and Methodology
Current expenditure includes staff compensation and recurring non-staff expenditure such as teaching materials, ancillary services, and administration. Student financial aid and other transfers are outside the direct-expenditure denominator. Ranking is descriptive and ordered by the latest derived capital share; it is not a same-year ranking unless the year filter is restricted to a common reference year.
World Bank indicator data · World Bank indicator metadata · UNESCO UIS expenditure glossary
A higher capital share does not by itself indicate better facilities, a larger education budget, or better student outcomes. A higher current share does not by itself indicate higher teacher pay. Reference years vary from 1999 to 2024, national accounting classifications may differ, and one-year capital projects can change the composition sharply.