Education spending ranking 1982 — the top 20 economies
The twenty largest economies by Government Education Spending (% of GDP) in 1982, ranked by the exact World Bank figures. The leader: Malaysia (7.03%). A total of 59 economies reported a value that year.
The leader, Malaysia, stood at 7.03%. The twentieth economy, Luxembourg, reported 5.28% — a 1.3× spread inside the top 20 alone. Of 59 economies reporting that year, these twenty are the ones usually quoted.
| # | Country | % of GDP (1982) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaysia | 7.03% |
| 2 | Eswatini | 6.75% |
| 3 | Canada | 6.5% |
| 4 | Israel | 6.34% |
| 5 | South Korea | 6.21% |
| 6 | Morocco | 6.12% |
| 7 | Syria | 5.9% |
| 8 | Iran | 5.8% |
| 9 | Netherlands | 5.69% |
| 10 | Norway | 5.68% |
| 11 | Kenya | 5.68% |
| 12 | Egypt | 5.61% |
| 13 | St. Lucia | 5.54% |
| 14 | Australia | 5.47% |
| 15 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5.46% |
| 16 | Ireland | 5.39% |
| 17 | Austria | 5.38% |
| 18 | Belgium | 5.32% |
| 19 | Tunisia | 5.29% |
| 20 | Luxembourg | 5.28% |
Where are they now?
The top five of 1982 and their rank in the latest published year:
| Country | Rank in 1982 | Rank today |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | #39 | #115 |
| Eswatini | #6 | #23 |
| Canada | #21 | #62 |
| Israel | #8 | #27 |
| South Korea | #11 | #37 |
Other years
Frequently asked questions
Which country had the largest Education spending in 1982?
Malaysia, with 7.03% (% of GDP).
How many countries are included?
59 economies reported a value for SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS in 1982. Coverage widens over time — earlier years include fewer reporting economies.