Public Education Expenditure by Education Level: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Reported shares show how general government education expenditure is distributed across primary, secondary and tertiary education. The values are percentages of the public education budget, not shares of GDP, currency amounts or spending per student.
Education Budget Allocation Statistics
The comparison table and regional profiles use 132 latest complete country records dated 2010–2016. Older observations remain in the historical source series only.
Regional Public Education Budget Allocation
Unweighted regional means calculated from countries whose latest complete same-year observation falls within 2010–2016.
Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Residual Shares by Region
Each country receives equal weight. Other / unallocated is calculated as the remainder after the three reported level shares.
Regional means describe the available country set and do not weight countries by enrollment, population or total expenditure.
Chart analysis
- Sub-Saharan Africa records the highest regional mean primary share at 43.3% in the 2010–2016 subset.
- North America records the highest mean secondary share at 38.2%, based on two reporting economies.
- North America also has the highest mean tertiary share at 25.4%.
- The mean residual ranges from 5.7% in South Asia to 17.0% in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Regional sample sizes range from 2 to 39 countries, so the bars are not equally representative.
Country-Level Public Education Expenditure by Level
Each row uses the latest reference year from 2010 through 2016 for which primary, secondary and tertiary shares are reported together.
A high level share does not show how much a country spends in currency terms, as a share of GDP or per student. It shows the internal distribution of reported public education expenditure.
| Country | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 56.7% | 24.4% | 16.0% | 2015 |
| Andorra | 22.1% | 24.9% | 5.5% | 2015 |
| Argentina | 30.1% | 41.5% | 20.4% | 2014 |
| Armenia | 20.1% | 48.9% | 10.3% | 2013 |
| Aruba | 26.2% | 34.4% | 20.0% | 2014 |
| Australia | 32.6% | 32.4% | 26.5% | 2014 |
| Austria | 16.3% | 40.4% | 32.5% | 2014 |
| Bahrain | 32.1% | 43.4% | 0.0% | 2013 |
| Bangladesh | 43.5% | 35.4% | 20.0% | 2016 |
| Belgium | 23.2% | 42.0% | 22.0% | 2014 |
| Belize | 37.8% | 39.3% | 13.0% | 2014 |
| Benin | 49.8% | 23.7% | 22.1% | 2015 |
| Bermuda | 29.9% | 44.3% | 18.2% | 2014 |
| Bhutan | 32.0% | 55.7% | 10.3% | 2014 |
| Bolivia | 41.6% | 27.1% | 26.2% | 2014 |
| Brazil | 27.4% | 43.9% | 18.2% | 2013 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 19.5% | 60.8% | 18.9% | 2016 |
| Bulgaria | 19.7% | 38.9% | 15.9% | 2013 |
| Burkina Faso | 57.9% | 22.1% | 13.7% | 2015 |
| Burundi | 45.4% | 26.8% | 24.2% | 2013 |
| Cabo Verde | 38.4% | 40.3% | 15.8% | 2013 |
| Cambodia | 49.7% | 41.5% | 6.1% | 2013 |
| Cameroon | 36.2% | 52.6% | 7.8% | 2012 |
| Central African Republic | 53.3% | 24.0% | 20.5% | 2010 |
| Chad | 46.7% | 20.7% | 30.3% | 2012 |
| Chile | 25.6% | 29.4% | 25.7% | 2015 |
| Colombia | 36.7% | 35.4% | 21.4% | 2015 |
| Comoros | 54.6% | 27.7% | 10.4% | 2015 |
| Costa Rica | 36.8% | 33.7% | 22.3% | 2015 |
| Curaçao | 27.5% | 33.9% | 5.3% | 2013 |
| Cyprus | 32.8% | 43.8% | 17.6% | 2014 |
| Czechia | 17.8% | 43.9% | 21.5% | 2013 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 41.4% | 34.2% | 21.4% | 2015 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 61.6% | 14.4% | 22.0% | 2013 |
| Denmark | 24.9% | 32.4% | 26.9% | 2013 |
| Djibouti | 34.1% | 37.3% | 16.5% | 2010 |
| Ecuador | 23.3% | 12.1% | 43.5% | 2015 |
| El Salvador | 40.6% | 31.8% | 7.9% | 2015 |
| Estonia | 24.6% | 26.1% | 26.2% | 2014 |
| Eswatini | 50.8% | 34.1% | 13.3% | 2014 |
| Ethiopia | 24.0% | 29.3% | 42.7% | 2013 |
| Fiji | 44.4% | 15.9% | 13.0% | 2011 |
| Finland | 20.0% | 42.0% | 32.0% | 2011 |
| France | 20.7% | 43.7% | 22.6% | 2013 |
| Gabon | 29.2% | 28.9% | 37.8% | 2014 |
| Gambia | 51.8% | 35.5% | 10.7% | 2013 |
| Georgia | 34.3% | 32.1% | 19.2% | 2012 |
| Germany | 12.8% | 42.0% | 26.6% | 2014 |
| Ghana | 21.7% | 37.0% | 18.3% | 2014 |
| Guatemala | 49.9% | 12.9% | 13.8% | 2015 |
| Guinea | 38.9% | 21.9% | 39.1% | 2014 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 64.4% | 30.4% | 3.9% | 2013 |
| Guyana | 30.6% | 33.3% | 5.1% | 2012 |
| Honduras | 48.9% | 25.3% | 18.5% | 2013 |
| Hong Kong SAR | 20.9% | 33.9% | 29.5% | 2015 |
| Hungary | 12.5% | 42.8% | 16.4% | 2014 |
| Iceland | 28.6% | 27.7% | 19.4% | 2013 |
| India | 28.4% | 41.4% | 28.5% | 2013 |
| Indonesia | 42.6% | 27.0% | 15.8% | 2015 |
| Iran | 26.7% | 37.9% | 29.4% | 2015 |
| Ireland | 36.2% | 33.5% | 21.5% | 2013 |
| Israel | 38.1% | 29.1% | 15.3% | 2014 |
| Italy | 24.5% | 42.4% | 19.6% | 2014 |
| Jamaica | 36.7% | 39.4% | 17.4% | 2015 |
| Japan | 33.1% | 37.8% | 20.8% | 2014 |
| Kenya | 36.3% | 41.8% | 13.1% | 2015 |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | 40.6% | 38.6% | 13.8% | 2014 |
| Latvia | 30.0% | 31.2% | 21.3% | 2014 |
| Liberia | 30.7% | 34.5% | 31.6% | 2012 |
| Lithuania | 15.2% | 38.5% | 28.8% | 2013 |
| Luxembourg | 30.8% | 42.2% | 12.6% | 2014 |
| Madagascar | 47.4% | 19.3% | 15.2% | 2012 |
| Malawi | 44.0% | 27.8% | 24.2% | 2015 |
| Malaysia | 33.2% | 36.4% | 27.3% | 2015 |
| Maldives | 39.7% | 24.3% | 12.7% | 2015 |
| Mali | 43.2% | 34.1% | 21.6% | 2014 |
| Malta | 20.2% | 35.8% | 19.2% | 2013 |
| Mauritania | 43.2% | 23.3% | 11.6% | 2013 |
| Mauritius | 20.6% | 64.1% | 6.8% | 2015 |
| Mexico | 32.8% | 32.0% | 21.3% | 2014 |
| Moldova | 22.7% | 35.7% | 17.2% | 2014 |
| Mongolia | 32.7% | 30.4% | 3.8% | 2011 |
| Mozambique | 49.2% | 30.6% | 13.7% | 2013 |
| Namibia | 40.0% | 23.5% | 23.1% | 2010 |
| Nepal | 53.8% | 33.3% | 10.8% | 2015 |
| Netherlands | 22.5% | 40.3% | 30.6% | 2014 |
| New Zealand | 23.2% | 37.0% | 25.6% | 2015 |
| Nicaragua | 39.8% | 13.2% | 26.0% | 2010 |
| Niger | 52.2% | 29.1% | 13.9% | 2014 |
| Norway | 26.0% | 35.2% | 29.9% | 2011 |
| Pakistan | 31.1% | 37.4% | 22.8% | 2015 |
| Panama | 23.5% | 22.4% | 22.2% | 2011 |
| Paraguay | 38.3% | 33.0% | 22.4% | 2012 |
| Peru | 36.5% | 30.8% | 16.1% | 2015 |
| Poland | 31.4% | 31.4% | 24.1% | 2014 |
| Portugal | 29.9% | 42.3% | 17.8% | 2014 |
| Puerto Rico | 21.6% | 23.6% | 38.6% | 2013 |
| Republic of the Congo | 31.0% | 53.3% | 10.9% | 2010 |
| Romania | 13.7% | 40.9% | 21.6% | 2014 |
| Rwanda | 32.7% | 42.6% | 20.9% | 2015 |
| San Marino | 33.3% | 35.8% | 10.8% | 2011 |
| Senegal | 34.9% | 33.3% | 28.8% | 2014 |
| Serbia | 45.3% | 23.1% | 29.2% | 2011 |
| Seychelles | 24.0% | 16.2% | 32.5% | 2011 |
| Sierra Leone | 43.1% | 23.4% | 30.7% | 2014 |
| Singapore | 22.0% | 23.0% | 35.3% | 2013 |
| Slovakia | 19.1% | 41.8% | 23.0% | 2014 |
| Slovenia | 27.9% | 33.8% | 20.5% | 2013 |
| South Africa | 38.8% | 30.7% | 12.2% | 2014 |
| South Korea | 31.5% | 39.4% | 20.8% | 2015 |
| South Sudan | 36.4% | 12.2% | 50.4% | 2016 |
| Spain | 26.1% | 36.9% | 22.4% | 2013 |
| Sri Lanka | 32.8% | 49.3% | 14.2% | 2016 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 21.4% | 40.2% | 15.4% | 2015 |
| St. Lucia | 42.3% | 45.1% | 5.0% | 2011 |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 41.4% | 36.3% | 7.0% | 2010 |
| Sweden | 22.8% | 27.5% | 25.3% | 2014 |
| Switzerland | 29.6% | 37.6% | 26.4% | 2014 |
| São Tomé and Principe | 55.8% | 22.6% | 9.6% | 2014 |
| Tanzania | 49.2% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 2014 |
| Thailand | 41.1% | 29.8% | 15.6% | 2013 |
| Timor-Leste | 64.9% | 29.8% | 4.1% | 2014 |
| Togo | 64.5% | 16.3% | 17.3% | 2015 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 36.1% | 41.5% | 22.4% | 2015 |
| Türkiye | 20.5% | 42.9% | 33.2% | 2013 |
| Uganda | 59.2% | 24.5% | 16.3% | 2014 |
| Ukraine | 18.0% | 27.8% | 31.5% | 2014 |
| United Kingdom | 32.2% | 41.0% | 22.8% | 2015 |
| United States | 28.7% | 32.0% | 32.5% | 2014 |
| Uruguay | 27.9% | 33.2% | 26.8% | 2011 |
| Viet Nam | 29.7% | 39.6% | 15.0% | 2013 |
| Zimbabwe | 47.8% | 26.9% | 16.8% | 2014 |
Table analysis
- Within the 2010–2016 subset, secondary is the largest reported share in 66 systems, primary in 55 and tertiary in 11.
- Timor-Leste has the highest primary share at 64.9% in 2014.
- Mauritius has the highest secondary share at 64.1% in 2015.
- South Sudan has the highest tertiary share at 50.4% in 2016.
- Panama has the narrowest three-level spread at 1.2 percentage points in 2011.
- Timor-Leste has the widest three-level spread at 60.8 percentage points in 2014.
- Reference years differ across countries and must remain part of every comparison.
Which Education Level Receives the Largest Reported Share?
Counts use the 132 latest complete country records dated 2010–2016.
Dominant Education Level in the 2010–2016 Subset
Dominant level means the largest of the three reported shares; it is not a performance classification.
Secondary is the largest reported level share in half of the 2010–2016 country records.
Chart analysis
- Secondary is the largest share in 66 of 132 records.
- Primary is the largest share in 55 records.
- Tertiary is the largest share in 11 records.
- The count does not include pre-primary, post-secondary non-tertiary or expenditure not assigned to a level.
Narrowest and Widest Allocation Spreads
Allocation spread equals the largest reported level share minus the smallest. The comparison is limited to 2010–2016 records.
| Band | Country | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | Largest share | Spread | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrowest | Panama | 23.5% | 22.4% | 22.2% | Primary | 1.2 pp | 2011 |
| Narrowest | Estonia | 24.6% | 26.1% | 26.2% | Tertiary | 1.6 pp | 2014 |
| Narrowest | Chile | 25.6% | 29.4% | 25.7% | Secondary | 3.8 pp | 2015 |
| Narrowest | Liberia | 30.7% | 34.5% | 31.6% | Secondary | 3.8 pp | 2012 |
| Narrowest | United States | 28.7% | 32.0% | 32.5% | Tertiary | 3.8 pp | 2014 |
| Narrowest | Sweden | 22.8% | 27.5% | 25.3% | Secondary | 4.7 pp | 2014 |
| Narrowest | Senegal | 34.9% | 33.3% | 28.8% | Primary | 6.0 pp | 2014 |
| Narrowest | Australia | 32.6% | 32.4% | 26.5% | Primary | 6.1 pp | 2014 |
| Narrowest | Uruguay | 27.9% | 33.2% | 26.8% | Secondary | 6.3 pp | 2011 |
| Narrowest | Poland | 31.4% | 31.4% | 24.1% | Secondary | 7.3 pp | 2014 |
| Widest | Timor-Leste | 64.9% | 29.8% | 4.1% | Primary | 60.8 pp | 2014 |
| Widest | Guinea-Bissau | 64.4% | 30.4% | 3.9% | Primary | 60.5 pp | 2013 |
| Widest | Mauritius | 20.6% | 64.1% | 6.8% | Secondary | 57.3 pp | 2015 |
| Widest | Togo | 64.5% | 16.3% | 17.3% | Primary | 48.2 pp | 2015 |
| Widest | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 61.6% | 14.4% | 22.0% | Primary | 47.2 pp | 2013 |
| Widest | São Tomé and Principe | 55.8% | 22.6% | 9.6% | Primary | 46.2 pp | 2014 |
| Widest | Bhutan | 32.0% | 55.7% | 10.3% | Secondary | 45.3 pp | 2014 |
| Widest | Cameroon | 36.2% | 52.6% | 7.8% | Secondary | 44.8 pp | 2012 |
| Widest | Burkina Faso | 57.9% | 22.1% | 13.7% | Primary | 44.2 pp | 2015 |
| Widest | Comoros | 54.6% | 27.7% | 10.4% | Primary | 44.2 pp | 2015 |
Table analysis
- Panama records the narrowest spread at 1.2 percentage points.
- Estonia, Chile, Liberia and the United States also have spreads below 4 percentage points.
- Timor-Leste and Guinea-Bissau exceed 60 percentage points between their largest and smallest level shares.
- A narrow spread does not indicate equal spending per student because enrollment volumes differ by education level.
- A wide spread describes concentration within the three reported levels and does not measure education quality.
Regional Allocation Profiles
Regional values are unweighted means across latest complete country records dated 2010–2016.
| Region | Countries | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | Other | Median spread | Source years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Asia & Pacific | 16 | 35.1% | 34.6% | 18.2% | 12.1% | 25.1 pp | 2011–2016 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 36 | 24.7% | 37.0% | 22.4% | 15.9% | 21.0 pp | 2011–2015 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 26 | 33.9% | 31.7% | 19.3% | 15.1% | 21.6 pp | 2010–2015 |
| Middle East & North Africa | 5 | 30.2% | 36.7% | 16.1% | 17.0% | 20.8 pp | 2010–2015 |
| North America | 2 | 29.3% | 38.2% | 25.4% | 7.1% | 15.0 pp | 2014 |
| South Asia | 8 | 39.7% | 37.6% | 16.9% | 5.7% | 31.0 pp | 2013–2016 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 39 | 43.3% | 29.5% | 20.4% | 6.7% | 30.9 pp | 2010–2016 |
Table analysis
- South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest median allocation spreads, at 31.0 and 30.9 percentage points.
- North America has the narrowest median spread at 15.0 percentage points, based on two economies.
- Europe and Central Asia records the lowest mean primary share, 24.7%, within the selected records.
- Sub-Saharan Africa records the lowest mean secondary share, 29.5%, and the highest mean primary share, 43.3%.
- Country means are not weighted by the size of national education budgets.
Long-Run Source Series
Selected reporting years show cross-country medians for systems with a complete three-level record in each year. The country set changes between years.
Median Level Shares at Selected Reporting Years, 2000–2015
The chart uses 58 reporting countries in 2000, 70 in 2005, 103 in 2010 and 33 in 2015.
The lines describe annual reporting samples rather than a balanced panel of the same countries.
Trend analysis
- The median primary share moves from 35.2% in 2000 to 36.5% in 2015.
- The median secondary share moves from 34.5% in 2000 to 33.7% in 2015.
- The median tertiary share moves from 19.2% in 2000 to 20.8% in 2015.
- The 2010 reporting sample is the largest selected anchor, with 103 complete country records.
- Changes may reflect both national movements and changes in which countries reported complete data.
| Year | Countries | Primary median | Secondary median | Tertiary median | Other median | Primary vs 2000 | Secondary vs 2000 | Tertiary vs 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 58 | 35.2% | 34.5% | 19.2% | 7.2% | 0.0 pp | 0.0 pp | 0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 70 | 33.0% | 37.8% | 21.0% | 8.9% | -2.2 pp | +3.3 pp | +1.8 pp |
| 2010 | 103 | 32.4% | 35.5% | 20.1% | 8.6% | -2.8 pp | +1.0 pp | +0.9 pp |
| 2015 | 33 | 36.5% | 33.7% | 20.8% | 7.2% | +1.3 pp | -0.9 pp | +1.6 pp |
| 2016 | 4 | 34.6% | 42.4% | 19.4% | 1.0% | -0.6 pp | +7.9 pp | +0.3 pp |
Table analysis
- Relative to 2000, the 2015 reporting sample has a primary median higher by 1.3 percentage points.
- The 2015 secondary median is lower than the 2000 median by 0.9 percentage points.
- The 2015 tertiary median is higher than the 2000 median by 1.6 percentage points.
- Only four countries have a complete 2016 record in the compiled extract, so the 2016 medians should not be read as a global movement.
- The residual median stays between 7.2% and 8.9% from 2000 through 2015.
Interpreting Education-Level Budget Shares
The three percentages describe allocation within public education expenditure. They do not standardize enrollment size, programme duration or institutional cost structure.
Primary allocation
A larger primary share may coincide with a large primary-age population, broad school networks, teacher payrolls, school meals, transport or basic education expansion. It does not by itself imply high spending per primary student.
Secondary allocation
Secondary expenditure can cover lower and upper secondary programmes, subject-specialist teaching, laboratories and vocational provision. Source classifications may limit separate lower- and upper-secondary comparisons.
Tertiary allocation
Tertiary expenditure may include university research, institutional grants and other costs not limited to classroom teaching. Research-intensive systems can therefore report a larger tertiary share.
Other / unallocated
The calculated remainder can include pre-primary education, post-secondary non-tertiary programmes, administration, ancillary services and expenditure not assigned to one level. It is not automatically an error term.
Budget share and spending per student
A level can receive a large budget share while recording low expenditure per student when enrollment is large. The reverse can occur when a smaller student population receives a smaller total share.
Population and enrollment structure
Age structure, compulsory-school duration, tertiary participation and the public-private mix affect the level distribution. The shares should not be treated as direct measures of policy quality or student outcomes.
Level share = government expenditure at the specified education level ÷ total general government expenditure on education × 100. Allocation spread = largest level share − smallest level share. Other / unallocated = 100 − primary − secondary − tertiary.
Source and Methodology
SE.XPD.PRIM.ZS, SE.XPD.SECO.ZS and SE.XPD.TERT.ZS.Official source links: primary expenditure share, secondary expenditure share, tertiary expenditure share, UNESCO UIS Data Browser. Supporting interpretation of tertiary research expenditure follows the OECD 2025 education finance report.
Values describe the internal distribution of reported public education expenditure only. Different reference years, national accounting practices, education-level boundaries and the treatment of university research limit direct comparisons. A larger share is not evidence of higher education quality, greater access or better outcomes, and no causal relationship is inferred.