Jamaica — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Jamaica, 1973–2024.
Education spending for Jamaica was 5.51% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 41 years, from 1973 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 6.37% in 2010. The lowest was 3.21% in 1993 (about 1.7× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.82% per year.
Jamaica ranks 32 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 19%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 4.27%, so Jamaica sits above it. It peaked in 2010 and has fallen 13% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 8%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 6 of 36 economies; Curacao (5.44%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 32% in 1989.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 85 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 25th of 49 in 1973 → 12th of 50 in 1990 → 33rd of 116 in 2000 → 18th of 130 in 2010 → 46th of 157 in 2020 → 10th of 39 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1973 to 2024
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5.51% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 5.65% | +0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 5.35% | -0.3 pp |
| 2021 | 5.63% | +0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 5.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 5.16% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 5.41% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 5.26% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 5.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 5.46% | -0.6 pp |
| 2014 | 6.02% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 6.25% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 6.11% | -0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 6.27% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 6.37% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 6.2% | +0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 6.19% | +0.7 pp |
| 2007 | 5.49% | +0.9 pp |
| 2005 | 4.62% | +0.7 pp |
| 2004 | 3.91% | -0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 4.26% | -1.1 pp |
| 2002 | 5.38% | -0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 5.38% | +0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 4.98% | +0.6 pp |
| 1997 | 4.38% | +0.7 pp |
| 1996 | 3.68% | +0.3 pp |
| 1995 | 3.39% | -0.7 pp |
| 1994 | 4.06% | +0.9 pp |
| 1993 | 3.21% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 3.34% | -1.0 pp |
| 1991 | 4.38% | -0.4 pp |
| 1990 | 4.78% | -0.4 pp |
| 1989 | 5.18% | +1.2 pp |
| 1988 | 3.94% | -0.7 pp |
| 1986 | 4.6% | -0.8 pp |
| 1985 | 5.39% | -0.6 pp |
| 1977 | 6.03% | +0.2 pp |
| 1976 | 5.86% | +0.6 pp |
| 1975 | 5.23% | +1.0 pp |
| 1974 | 4.25% | +0.6 pp |
| 1973 | 3.63% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Jamaica’s Education spending in 1974?
4.25% (1974). 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 Jamaica’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1973 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +51.8% in total — about 0.8% 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: 5.51%; 2023: 5.65%; 2022: 5.35%; 2021: 5.63%; 2020: 5.38%. 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.