Saudi Arabia — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Saudi Arabia, 1981–2023.
Education spending for Saudi Arabia was 4.48% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 23 years, from 1981 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 8.28% in 1998. The lowest was 3.89% in 1981 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.34% per year.
Saudi Arabia ranks 74 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 43%. The median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 4.38%, so Saudi Arabia sits above it. It peaked in 1998 and has fallen 46% since. Within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it ranks 8 of 17 economies; Oman (4.38%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 89% in 1998.
Data highlights
From its 1981 level: doubled by 1998.
World ranking. Slipped: 32nd of 56 in 1981 → 18th of 116 in 2000 → 36th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1981 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4.48% | -0.7 pp |
| 2008 | 5.14% | -0.8 pp |
| 2006 | 5.89% | +0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 5.43% | -0.8 pp |
| 2004 | 6.28% | -0.8 pp |
| 2003 | 7.11% | -0.5 pp |
| 2002 | 7.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 7.72% | +1.8 pp |
| 2000 | 5.91% | -1.2 pp |
| 1999 | 7.07% | -1.2 pp |
| 1998 | 8.28% | +3.9 pp |
| 1997 | 4.38% | -0.6 pp |
| 1996 | 4.94% | -0.7 pp |
| 1995 | 5.69% | -0.7 pp |
| 1994 | 6.34% | +0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 6% | +0.9 pp |
| 1992 | 5.14% | -0.6 pp |
| 1991 | 5.78% | -0.5 pp |
| 1986 | 6.26% | +0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 6.11% | +0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 5.98% | +1.8 pp |
| 1982 | 4.14% | +0.3 pp |
| 1981 | 3.89% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Saudi Arabia’s Education spending in 1982?
4.14% (1982). 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 Saudi Arabia’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1981 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +15.2% in total — about 0.3% 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: 4.48%; 2008: 5.14%; 2006: 5.89%; 2005: 5.43%; 2004: 6.28%. 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.