Norway — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Norway, 1972–2022.
Education spending for Norway was 5.43% in 2022, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 50 years, from 1972 to 2022. The highest recorded value was 8.37% in 2020. The lowest was 5.26% in 1985 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.17% per year.
Norway ranks 36 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 21%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so Norway sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 35% since. Over the last decade (2012–2022) the figure moved down 26%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 10 of 45 economies; France (5.32%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 22% in 2022. That is 27% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 9th of 49 in 1972 → 12th of 63 in 1980 → 1st of 50 in 1990 → 12th of 116 in 2000 → 12th of 130 in 2010 → 7th of 157 in 2020 → 30th of 150 in 2022.
Key figures
Full history — 1972 to 2022
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5.43% | -1.5 pp |
| 2021 | 6.96% | -1.4 pp |
| 2020 | 8.37% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 7.86% | +0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 7.6% | -0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 7.85% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 7.98% | +0.5 pp |
| 2015 | 7.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 7.64% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 7.44% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 7.33% | +0.9 pp |
| 2011 | 6.41% | -0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 6.71% | -0.4 pp |
| 2009 | 7.07% | +0.8 pp |
| 2008 | 6.25% | -0.3 pp |
| 2007 | 6.51% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 6.36% | -0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 6.84% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 7.28% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 7.4% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 7.42% | +0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 6.82% | +0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 6.46% | -0.5 pp |
| 1999 | 6.96% | -0.4 pp |
| 1998 | 7.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 7.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 7.14% | -0.6 pp |
| 1995 | 7.7% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 7.83% | +0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 7.68% | +1.0 pp |
| 1992 | 6.64% | +0.3 pp |
| 1991 | 6.37% | +0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 6.31% | +0.0 pp |
| 1989 | 6.3% | +0.4 pp |
| 1988 | 5.87% | +0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 5.79% | +0.2 pp |
| 1986 | 5.54% | +0.3 pp |
| 1985 | 5.26% | -0.2 pp |
| 1984 | 5.43% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 5.65% | -0.0 pp |
| 1982 | 5.68% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 5.54% | -0.2 pp |
| 1980 | 5.78% | -0.7 pp |
| 1978 | 6.44% | +0.5 pp |
| 1977 | 5.97% | -0.2 pp |
| 1976 | 6.16% | +0.6 pp |
| 1975 | 5.55% | -0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 5.67% | -0.2 pp |
| 1973 | 5.89% | -0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 5.9% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Norway’s Education spending in 1973?
5.89% (1973). 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 Norway’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1972 and 2022 the series was shrinking overall: -8.0% 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: 2022: 5.43%; 2021: 6.96%; 2020: 8.37%; 2019: 7.86%; 2018: 7.6%. 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.