Global ranking · 48 economies · World Bank data
Education Spending by Country 2026
48 economies ranked by education spending (% of GDP), 2026. Sweden leads at 7.3%; Sweden 1st. Free World Bank data — cite & download.
TL;DR — Sweden is the economy with the highest education spending (% of GDP) of the 48 ranked, at 7.3% (World Bank, 2022).
World Bank Open Data · UNESCO Institute for Statistics · World Bank Open Data · IMF World Economic Outlook | 48 entities | 1,032 words · 15 sections | data: CSV + JSON
Executive summary
This index ranks 48 of the world's largest economies by education spending (% of GDP), using World Bank Open Data for cross-country comparability, and goes beyond a single snapshot: it shows the nominal figure, a ten-year history, a regional breakdown and the biggest movers. Sweden leads at 7.3% (2022); Nigeria is lowest among those ranked at 0.3%. Sweden ranks 1st of 48 at 7.3% (2022). As reference points, the EU stands at 4.7%, the OECD at 5.1% and the world at 3.6%. Every figure carries its World Bank series and reference year, and the complete dataset is free to download as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Key findings
Sweden tops the ranking
Sweden has the highest education spending (% of GDP) among the 48 economies in this index at 7.3% (2022).
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2022 · confidence: High
Where Sweden ranks
Sweden ranks 1st of 48 at 7.3% (2022), above the OECD reference of 5.1%.
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2022 · confidence: High
Top five
The five highest by education spending (% of GDP) are Sweden (7.3%), Iceland (7.3%), Finland (6.4%), Denmark (6.4%), Belgium (6.3%).
Source: World Bank Open Data · 2022 · confidence: High
Data vintage — August 2026
Figures reflect the most recent year available in the World Bank Open Data API for each economy (shown next to every value). This index of government education spending by country regenerates automatically as new data is published.
Overview
Public spending on education, as a share of GDP, signals how much a society invests in its future workforce. This index ranks countries by government education expenditure (World Bank, compiled from UNESCO).
The Nordic countries and a handful of others consistently invest heavily, while the ranking's spread reflects very different models — from high-tax, high-spend welfare states to lower-spend systems that lean on private provision.
What drives the ranking
Education spending reflects political priorities, demographics (a younger population needs more schools), and the balance between public and private funding. Spending levels correlate only loosely with outcomes, which depend heavily on how money is used.
The Nordics' high investment underpins their skilled workforces and is a recurring point of comparison for Sweden throughout Affärslivet's reporting.
What the data reveals
The field is relatively even at the top: the leader, Sweden, at 7.3% is about 1.6× the median of 4.7% across the 48 economies, and 1.0× the second-placed Iceland. In other words, education spending (% of GDP) varies widely but without an extreme outlier.
Benchmarked against the OECD average of 5.1%, 19 of the 48 ranked economies (40%) come out higher, and 37 exceed the world figure of 3.6%. This shows how much of the distribution sits above the rich-world benchmark — a quick read on whether education spending (% of GDP) is broadly high or concentrated among a few.
What the data says about Sweden: at 7.3% it ranks 1st of 48 — the top 10% — above the median of 4.7%. That places Sweden among the leaders of the field on education spending (% of GDP).
The spread is wide: the upper quartile of economies clusters around 5.4% and the lower quartile around 3.8%, while the leader Sweden is 22.9× the lowest-ranked Nigeria (0.3%). The quartile split is a cleaner read on typical education spending (% of GDP) than a simple average, which a few extreme values can distort.
Top 5 vs bottom 5
The five highest and five lowest economies on education spending (% of GDP) side by side — the clearest snapshot of the range across the 48 ranked economies.
| Top 5 | Value | Bottom 5 | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sweden | 7.3% | 44. Viet Nam | 2.9% |
| 2. Iceland | 7.3% | 45. Thailand | 2.5% |
| 3. Finland | 6.4% | 46. Singapore | 2.2% |
| 4. Denmark | 6.4% | 47. Indonesia | 1.3% |
| 5. Belgium | 6.3% | 48. Nigeria | 0.3% |
Limitations & notes
This ranking uses the latest year each economy reports to the World Bank; reporting lags differ, so some countries carry data a year or two older than others (see the year column in the full table). It measures education spending (% of GDP) as the source defines it — not its causes, quality, or wider welfare implications, and not any single 'best' outcome. Every figure is an official World Bank series, not an Affärslivet estimate; the complete dataset with per-country years and sources is free to download and reproduce below.
How it has changed over time
The chart tracks education spending (% of GDP) for Sweden (the current leader) against Sweden over the past decade; the table below shows the top economies year by year.
| Country | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 7.6% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 8.0% | 7.6% | 7.3% | — | — |
| Iceland | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 7.3% | — | — |
| Finland | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 6.6% | 6.4% | — | — |
| Denmark | 7.4% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 7.0% | 6.4% | — | — |
| Belgium | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.8% | 6.4% | 6.3% | — | — |
| South Africa | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.9% | 6.2% | 6.6% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 6.0% |
| Israel | 6.0% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.5% | 6.2% | 5.9% | — | — |
| United Kingdom | 5.5% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.9% | — | — | — |
By region
Median education spending (% of GDP) by world region among the ranked economies. Regional medians reveal patterns the country ranking alone can hide.
| Region | Economies | Median | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 23 | 5.1% | 7.3% | 2.9% |
| Asia-Pacific | 12 | 3.7% | 5.4% | 1.3% |
| Americas | 7 | 5.0% | 5.6% | 4.1% |
| Middle East & Africa | 6 | 4.2% | 6.0% | 0.3% |
Biggest movers
The largest changes in education spending (% of GDP) over the available window — where the action has been.
| Country | Change | Δ | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 7.8% → 5.4% | -2.4% | 2017–2022 |
| South Korea | 4.1% → 5.4% | +1.3% | 2017–2022 |
| Turkiye | 4.3% → 3.1% | -1.2% | 2017–2022 |
| Denmark | 7.4% → 6.4% | -1.0% | 2017–2022 |
| Malaysia | 4.5% → 3.5% | -1.0% | 2018–2023 |
| Hungary | 4.6% → 3.8% | -0.8% | 2017–2022 |
| Colombia | 4.5% → 5.3% | +0.8% | 2015–2020 |
| Ireland | 3.7% → 2.9% | -0.8% | 2016–2021 |
Full ranking — 48 economies
Complete ranking by education spending (% of GDP), most recent World Bank data, with world region. Region aggregates (EU, OECD, World) appear in the At-a-glance box as reference points.
| # | Country | Education Spending (% Of Gdp) | Region | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 7.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 2 | Iceland | 7.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 3 | Finland | 6.4% | Europe | 2022 |
| 4 | Denmark | 6.4% | Europe | 2022 |
| 5 | Belgium | 6.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 6 | South Africa | 6.0% | Middle East & Africa | 2024 |
| 7 | Israel | 5.9% | Middle East & Africa | 2022 |
| 8 | United Kingdom | 5.9% | Europe | 2021 |
| 9 | Brazil | 5.6% | Americas | 2022 |
| 10 | Norway | 5.4% | Europe | 2022 |
| 11 | United States | 5.4% | Americas | 2021 |
| 12 | South Korea | 5.4% | Asia-Pacific | 2022 |
| 13 | France | 5.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 14 | Austria | 5.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 15 | Colombia | 5.3% | Americas | 2020 |
| 16 | Germany | 5.2% | Europe | 2022 |
| 17 | New Zealand | 5.2% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 18 | Netherlands | 5.2% | Europe | 2022 |
| 19 | Ukraine | 5.1% | Europe | 2021 |
| 20 | Australia | 5.1% | Asia-Pacific | 2022 |
| 21 | Argentina | 5.0% | Americas | 2023 |
| 22 | Chile | 4.9% | Americas | 2022 |
| 23 | Switzerland | 4.9% | Europe | 2022 |
| 24 | Canada | 4.8% | Americas | 2022 |
| 25 | Spain | 4.6% | Europe | 2022 |
| 26 | Portugal | 4.6% | Europe | 2022 |
| 27 | Saudi Arabia | 4.5% | Middle East & Africa | 2023 |
| 28 | Poland | 4.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 29 | Czechia | 4.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 30 | Russia | 4.2% | Europe | 2023 |
| 31 | India | 4.1% | Asia-Pacific | 2022 |
| 32 | Italy | 4.1% | Europe | 2022 |
| 33 | Mexico | 4.1% | Americas | 2022 |
| 34 | Philippines | 4.0% | Asia-Pacific | 2025 |
| 35 | China | 3.9% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 36 | United Arab Emirates | 3.9% | Middle East & Africa | 2021 |
| 37 | Hungary | 3.8% | Europe | 2022 |
| 38 | Malaysia | 3.5% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 39 | Greece | 3.4% | Europe | 2022 |
| 40 | Japan | 3.3% | Asia-Pacific | 2021 |
| 41 | Romania | 3.3% | Europe | 2022 |
| 42 | Turkiye | 3.1% | Middle East & Africa | 2022 |
| 43 | Ireland | 2.9% | Europe | 2021 |
| 44 | Viet Nam | 2.9% | Asia-Pacific | 2022 |
| 45 | Thailand | 2.5% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 46 | Singapore | 2.2% | Asia-Pacific | 2024 |
| 47 | Indonesia | 1.3% | Asia-Pacific | 2023 |
| 48 | Nigeria | 0.3% | Middle East & Africa | 2023 |
Scoreboard (machine-readable data)
Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Conf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 7.32 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Iceland | 7.31 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Finland | 6.38 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Denmark | 6.36 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Belgium | 6.28 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| South Africa | 6.02 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Israel | 5.93 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United Kingdom | 5.91 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Brazil | 5.62 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Norway | 5.43 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United States | 5.42 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| South Korea | 5.41 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| France | 5.32 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Austria | 5.28 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Colombia | 5.26 % | 2020 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Germany | 5.24 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| New Zealand | 5.21 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Netherlands | 5.18 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Ukraine | 5.14 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Australia | 5.06 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Argentina | 5 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Chile | 4.91 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Switzerland | 4.86 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Canada | 4.84 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Spain | 4.59 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Portugal | 4.55 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Saudi Arabia | 4.48 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Poland | 4.31 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Czechia | 4.3 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Russia | 4.16 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| India | 4.1 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Italy | 4.07 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Mexico | 4.06 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Philippines | 3.97 % | 2025 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| China | 3.9 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| United Arab Emirates | 3.89 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Hungary | 3.8 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Malaysia | 3.51 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Greece | 3.38 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Japan | 3.34 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Romania | 3.28 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Turkiye | 3.1 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Ireland | 2.9 % | 2021 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Viet Nam | 2.89 % | 2022 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Thailand | 2.52 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Singapore | 2.19 % | 2024 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Indonesia | 1.28 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
| Nigeria | 0.32 % | 2023 | World Bank Open Data | High |
Methodology & verification
Economies are ranked by education spending (% of GDP) using the World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Each value is the most recent year available for that economy, shown alongside the figure; the trend table uses each economy's reported history. Economies with no reported value are omitted rather than estimated. Region aggregates (EU, euro area, OECD, World) are reference points, not ranked. This is government expenditure only and excludes private spending on education, which is large in some systems; reporting years vary by country. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).
Data dictionary
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| metric | string | World Bank indicator code : country ISO3 |
| label | string | Country name |
| value | number | education spending (% of GDP) value |
| unit | string | % |
| period | string | Reference year |
| geography | string | Country |
| source_url | string | World Bank indicator page |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest education spending (% of GDP)?
Sweden, at 7.3% (2022). Source: World Bank Open Data.
Where does Sweden rank by education spending (% of GDP)?
Sweden ranks 1st of 48 at 7.3% (2022). Source: World Bank.
What are the top five by education spending (% of GDP)?
Sweden (7.3%), Iceland (7.3%), Finland (6.4%), Denmark (6.4%), Belgium (6.3%). Source: World Bank.
How is education spending (% of GDP) defined?
Education expenditure (% of GDP), as reported by the World Bank. See the methodology and glossary for details.
How many economies are ranked?
48 of the world's largest economies, plus the EU, OECD and World aggregates as reference points.
What is the caveat with this metric?
This is government expenditure only and excludes private spending on education, which is large in some systems; reporting years vary by country.
Where does the data come from?
The World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Every figure shows its reference year and links to its World Bank indicator page.
How current is it, and how often does it update?
Each figure is the latest year the World Bank reports for that economy. The index regenerates automatically as new data is released.
Can I download this ranking?
Yes — the full ranking is available as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence, free to reuse with attribution to Affärslivet.
Which countries rank in the top 5 of the Education Spending by Country?
The top five are Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Belgium, based on the Education Spending by Country (Affärslivet, 2026-08-19).
Where does Sweden rank in the Education Spending by Country?
Sweden ranks #1 of 48 (7.3%) in the Education Spending by Country, as of 2026-08-19. Source: Affärslivet.
How many countries are ranked in the Education Spending by Country?
48 economies are included in the Education Spending by Country (2026-08-19). Full data is free to download as CSV or JSON under CC BY 4.0.
Glossary
- Education Spending (% Of Gdp)
- Education expenditure (% of GDP) — as reported by the World Bank. ↗
- World Bank Open Data
- A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗
- Purchasing-power parity (PPP)
- A conversion that equalises the price of a comparable basket of goods across countries, so output and incomes can be compared in real terms rather than at market exchange rates. ↗
- Nominal (current US$)
- A value converted at prevailing market exchange rates and not adjusted for differences in price levels. ↗
- GNI per capita
- Gross national income per person — like GDP per capita but including net income earned abroad; useful where cross-border corporate flows are large. ↗
- Reference year
- The year a figure applies to; it can differ across countries because national statistics are published on different schedules. ↗
- Region aggregate
- A World Bank grouping (e.g. European Union, OECD, World) whose value is a weighted regional total or average, shown here for reference rather than ranked. ↗
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APA
Affärslivet Research. (2026). Education Spending by Country 2026. Affärslivet. Version 1.1. https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/education-spending-by-country
MLA
Affärslivet Research. "Education Spending by Country 2026." Affärslivet, 2026-07-01, https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/education-spending-by-country.
BibTeX
@techreport{affarslivet_education_spending_by_country,
title = {Education Spending by Country 2026},
author = {{Affärslivet Research}},
year = {2026},
note = {Version 1.1},
url = {https://xn--affrslivet-s5a.com/en/reports/education-spending-by-country}
} License CC BY 4.0 — free to cite, embed and republish with attribution to Affärslivet. Data also as CSV / JSON.