Hong Kong SAR, China — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Hong Kong SAR, China, 1971–2024.
Education spending for Hong Kong SAR, China was 3.81% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 41 years, from 1971 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 4.56% in 2004. The lowest was 1.67% in 1982 (about 2.3× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.90% per year.
Hong Kong SAR, China ranks 102 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 59%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 4.25%, so Hong Kong SAR, China sits below it. It peaked in 2004 and has fallen 17% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved up 7%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 16 of 25 economies; Malaysia (3.51%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 54% in 1983. That is 4% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 77 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 41st of 53 in 1971 → 53rd of 63 in 1980 → 37th of 50 in 1990 → 81st of 130 in 2010 → 80th of 157 in 2020 → 25th of 39 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2024
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3.81% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 3.8% | +0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 3.73% | -0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 4% | -0.4 pp |
| 2020 | 4.41% | +0.6 pp |
| 2019 | 3.81% | +0.5 pp |
| 2018 | 3.33% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 3.31% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 3.29% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 3.26% | -0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 3.57% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 3.76% | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 3.51% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 3.42% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 3.51% | -0.9 pp |
| 2009 | 4.39% | +1.1 pp |
| 2008 | 3.26% | -0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 3.45% | -0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 3.84% | -0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 4.13% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 4.56% | +0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 4.29% | +0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 4.02% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 3.9% | +1.2 pp |
| 1996 | 2.73% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 2.83% | +0.4 pp |
| 1990 | 2.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 2.56% | -0.0 pp |
| 1984 | 2.58% | +0.0 pp |
| 1983 | 2.58% | +0.9 pp |
| 1982 | 1.67% | -0.6 pp |
| 1981 | 2.27% | +0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 2.19% | -0.1 pp |
| 1978 | 2.32% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 2.22% | -0.2 pp |
| 1976 | 2.43% | -0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 2.45% | +0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 2.36% | +0.2 pp |
| 1973 | 2.18% | -0.1 pp |
| 1972 | 2.3% | -0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.37% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Hong Kong SAR, China’s Education spending in 1972?
2.3% (1972). 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 Hong Kong SAR, China’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +60.7% in total — about 0.9% 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: 2024: 3.81%; 2023: 3.8%; 2022: 3.73%; 2021: 4%; 2020: 4.41%. 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.