New Zealand — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for New Zealand, 1973–2023.
Education spending for New Zealand was 5.21% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 33 years, from 1973 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 6.64% in 1999. The lowest was 3.43% in 1986 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.18% per year.
New Zealand ranks 48 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 28%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 4.25%, so New Zealand sits above it. It peaked in 1999 and has fallen 21% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 11%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 9 of 25 economies; Mongolia (5.21%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 23% in 1994. That is 5% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 16th of 49 in 1973 → 33rd of 63 in 1980 → 23rd of 116 in 2000 → 34th of 157 in 2020 → 22nd of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1973 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 5.17% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 5.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 5.64% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 5.17% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 5.19% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 5.28% | -0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 5.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 5.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 5.8% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 5.89% | +0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 5.6% | -1.0 pp |
| 1999 | 6.64% | +0.5 pp |
| 1997 | 6.16% | -0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 6.38% | +0.6 pp |
| 1995 | 5.74% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 5.93% | +1.1 pp |
| 1989 | 4.82% | +0.4 pp |
| 1988 | 4.43% | +0.5 pp |
| 1987 | 3.92% | +0.5 pp |
| 1986 | 3.43% | -0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 3.55% | -0.5 pp |
| 1984 | 4.05% | -0.5 pp |
| 1982 | 4.53% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 4.44% | +0.2 pp |
| 1980 | 4.23% | -0.2 pp |
| 1979 | 4.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 1978 | 4.53% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 4.45% | -1.0 pp |
| 1976 | 5.45% | +0.3 pp |
| 1975 | 5.17% | +0.4 pp |
| 1974 | 4.75% | -0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 4.75% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was New Zealand’s Education spending in 1974?
4.75% (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 New Zealand’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1973 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +9.7% in total — about 0.2% 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: 5.21%; 2022: 5.17%; 2021: 5.54%; 2020: 5.64%; 2019: 5.17%. 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.