Denmark — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Denmark, 1970–2022.
Education spending for Denmark was 6.36% in 2022, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 43 years, from 1970 to 2022. The highest recorded value was 8.55% in 2010. The lowest was 5.58% in 1979 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.13% per year.
Denmark ranks 20 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 12%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so Denmark sits above it. It peaked in 2010 and has fallen 26% since. Over the last decade (2012–2022) the figure moved down 12%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 6 of 45 economies; Belgium (6.28%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 39% in 1993. That is 14% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 3rd of 31 in 1970 → 10th of 63 in 1980 → 5th of 116 in 2000 → 5th of 130 in 2010 → 10th of 157 in 2020 → 14th of 150 in 2022.
Key figures
Full history — 1970 to 2022
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6.36% | -0.6 pp |
| 2021 | 6.96% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 7.39% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 7.28% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 7.33% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 7.37% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 7.72% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 7.64% | -0.8 pp |
| 2013 | 8.47% | +1.2 pp |
| 2012 | 7.25% | -1.2 pp |
| 2011 | 8.48% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 8.55% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 8.41% | +1.0 pp |
| 2008 | 7.44% | -0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 7.6% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 7.72% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 8.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 8.19% | +0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 8.11% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 8.21% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 8.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 8.09% | +0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 7.93% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 8.11% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 7.89% | +0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 7.48% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 7.48% | -0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 7.78% | +2.2 pp |
| 1991 | 5.6% | -0.2 pp |
| 1989 | 5.84% | -0.5 pp |
| 1988 | 6.34% | +0.2 pp |
| 1987 | 6.09% | +0.2 pp |
| 1986 | 5.86% | -0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 5.94% | +0.4 pp |
| 1979 | 5.58% | -0.2 pp |
| 1978 | 5.76% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 5.68% | -1.0 pp |
| 1975 | 6.72% | +0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 6.59% | +0.3 pp |
| 1973 | 6.27% | -0.2 pp |
| 1972 | 6.48% | +0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 6.39% | +0.4 pp |
| 1970 | 5.96% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Denmark’s Education spending in 1971?
6.39% (1971). 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 Denmark’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1970 and 2022 the series was growing overall: +6.7% in total — about 0.1% 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: 6.36%; 2021: 6.96%; 2020: 7.39%; 2019: 7.28%; 2018: 7.33%. 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.