Belgium — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Belgium, 1975–2022.
Education spending for Belgium was 6.28% in 2022, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 31 years, from 1975 to 2022. The highest recorded value was 6.75% in 2020. The lowest was 2.99% in 1995 (about 2.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.18% per year.
Belgium ranks 21 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 12%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so Belgium sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 7% since. Over the last decade (2012–2022) the figure moved down 4%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 7 of 45 economies; United Kingdom (5.91%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 90% in 2005. That is 3% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 9th of 54 in 1975 → 18th of 63 in 1980 → 17th of 130 in 2010 → 15th of 157 in 2020 → 15th of 150 in 2022.
Key figures
Full history — 1975 to 2022
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6.28% | -0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 6.38% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 6.75% | +0.4 pp |
| 2019 | 6.32% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 6.39% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 6.45% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 6.49% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 6.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 6.56% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 6.6% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 6.57% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 6.38% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 6.44% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 6.43% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 6.33% | +0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 5.8% | +2.7 pp |
| 1996 | 3.05% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 2.99% | -2.4 pp |
| 1994 | 5.41% | +0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 5.37% | +1.1 pp |
| 1988 | 4.3% | -0.3 pp |
| 1987 | 4.58% | -0.3 pp |
| 1986 | 4.85% | -0.5 pp |
| 1982 | 5.32% | -0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 5.44% | +0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 5.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 1979 | 5.38% | -0.1 pp |
| 1978 | 5.44% | -0.6 pp |
| 1977 | 5.99% | +0.3 pp |
| 1976 | 5.73% | -0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 5.76% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Belgium’s Education spending in 1976?
5.73% (1976). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Belgium’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1975 and 2022 the series was growing overall: +8.9% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2022: 6.28%; 2021: 6.38%; 2020: 6.75%; 2019: 6.32%; 2018: 6.39%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS — Government Education Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.