Malaysia — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Malaysia, 1971–2023.
Education spending for Malaysia was 3.51% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 39 years, from 1971 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 7.66% in 2002. The lowest was 3.50% in 2022 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.50% per year.
Malaysia ranks 115 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 67%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 4.25%, so Malaysia sits below it. It peaked in 2002 and has fallen 54% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 36%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 17 of 25 economies; Macao SAR, China (3.50%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 51% in 2009. That is 21% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 14th of 53 in 1971 → 13th of 63 in 1980 → 16th of 116 in 2000 → 46th of 130 in 2010 → 99th of 157 in 2020 → 60th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.51% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 3.5% | -0.8 pp |
| 2021 | 4.26% | +0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 3.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 4.16% | -0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 4.48% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 4.68% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 4.75% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 4.89% | -0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 5.21% | -0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 5.48% | -0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 5.74% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 5.76% | +0.8 pp |
| 2010 | 4.97% | -1.0 pp |
| 2009 | 5.97% | +2.0 pp |
| 2008 | 3.96% | -0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 4.37% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 4.49% | -1.4 pp |
| 2004 | 5.92% | -1.6 pp |
| 2003 | 7.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 7.66% | +0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 7.48% | +1.5 pp |
| 2000 | 5.97% | +0.3 pp |
| 1999 | 5.69% | +1.1 pp |
| 1997 | 4.62% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 4.91% | +0.6 pp |
| 1995 | 4.34% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 4.71% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 4.65% | -0.5 pp |
| 1992 | 5.11% | -1.2 pp |
| 1987 | 6.33% | -0.9 pp |
| 1986 | 7.24% | +1.1 pp |
| 1985 | 6.11% | +0.4 pp |
| 1984 | 5.67% | -1.4 pp |
| 1982 | 7.03% | +0.3 pp |
| 1981 | 6.7% | +1.0 pp |
| 1980 | 5.73% | +0.6 pp |
| 1979 | 5.09% | +0.5 pp |
| 1971 | 4.55% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Malaysia’s Education spending in 1979?
5.09% (1979). 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 Malaysia’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -22.8% in total — about 0.5% 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: 2023: 3.51%; 2022: 3.5%; 2021: 4.26%; 2020: 3.91%; 2019: 4.16%. 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.