Public spending on education as a share of GDP
About this data
Related research and writing
Sources and processing
This data is based on the following sources
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All data and visualizations on Our World in Data rely on data sourced from one or several original data providers. Preparing this original data involves several processing steps. Depending on the data, this can include standardizing country names and world region definitions, converting units, calculating derived indicators such as per capita measures, as well as adding or adapting metadata such as the name or the description given to an indicator.
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Notes on our processing step for this indicator
Historical expenditure data:
Historical data in this dataset is based on a wide array of sources, reflecting a comprehensive approach to data collection across different time periods and regions. However, the diverse nature of these sources leads to inconsistencies, as methodologies and data quality vary between sources. For instance, older sources like the League of Nations Statistical Yearbook or Mitchell's 1962 data may use different metrics or collection methods compared to more modern sources like the OECD Education reports or UN surveys. This variance in source material and methodology means that direct comparisons across different years or countries might be challenging, necessitating careful interpretation and cross-reference for accuracy. The dataset serves as a rich historical repository but also underscores the complexities and challenges inherent in compiling and harmonizing historical data from multiple, diverse sources.
Recent estimates:
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.
World Bank variable id: SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS
Original source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). UIS.Stat Bulk Data Download Service. Accessed October 24, 2022.
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Citations
How to cite this page
To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:
“Data Page: Public spending on education as a share of GDP”, part of the following publication: Hannah Ritchie, Veronika Samborska, Natasha Ahuja, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina and Max Roser (2023) - “Global Education”. Data adapted from World Bank, Tanzi & Schuknecht. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/total-government-expenditure-on-education-gdp [online resource]
How to cite this data
In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:
World Bank (2024); Tanzi & Schuknecht (2000) – processed by Our World in Data
Full citation
World Bank (2024); Tanzi & Schuknecht (2000) – processed by Our World in Data. “Public spending on education as a share of GDP” [dataset]. World Bank, “World Bank Education Statistics (EdStats)”; Tanzi & Schuknecht, “Public Expenditure on Education OECD” [original data]. Retrieved December 9, 2024 from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/total-government-expenditure-on-education-gdp