Switzerland — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Switzerland, 1970–2022.
Education spending for Switzerland was 4.86% in 2022, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 51 years, from 1970 to 2022. The highest recorded value was 5.38% in 2003. The lowest was 3.39% in 1970 (about 1.4× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.70% per year.
Switzerland ranks 61 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 35%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so Switzerland sits above it. It peaked in 2003 and has fallen 10% since. Over the last decade (2012–2022) the figure moved down 1%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 20 of 45 economies; Cyprus (4.74%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 9% in 1993. That is 2% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 100 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 18th of 31 in 1970 → 32nd of 63 in 1980 → 19th of 50 in 1990 → 45th of 116 in 2000 → 52nd of 130 in 2010 → 52nd of 157 in 2020 → 47th of 150 in 2022.
Key figures
Full history — 1970 to 2022
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4.86% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 5.03% | -0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 5.28% | +0.3 pp |
| 2019 | 5.01% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 4.93% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 5.02% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 4.98% | -0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 5% | +0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 4.93% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 4.91% | +0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 4.9% | +0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 4.86% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 4.8% | -0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 4.93% | +0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 4.76% | +0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 4.58% | -0.3 pp |
| 2006 | 4.84% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 5.08% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 5.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 5.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 5.18% | +0.4 pp |
| 2001 | 4.82% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 4.66% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 4.76% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 4.75% | -0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 4.92% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 4.91% | +0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 4.91% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 4.94% | +0.4 pp |
| 1991 | 4.55% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 4.39% | +0.2 pp |
| 1989 | 4.14% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 4.23% | +0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 4.17% | -0.0 pp |
| 1986 | 4.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 1985 | 4.17% | -0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 4.23% | -0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 4.37% | +0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 4.26% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 4.2% | -0.0 pp |
| 1980 | 4.23% | -0.1 pp |
| 1979 | 4.35% | -0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 4.37% | -0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 4.5% | +0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 4.47% | +0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 4.37% | +0.3 pp |
| 1974 | 4.11% | +0.2 pp |
| 1973 | 3.91% | +0.3 pp |
| 1972 | 3.66% | +0.2 pp |
| 1971 | 3.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 1970 | 3.39% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Switzerland’s Education spending in 1971?
3.5% (1971). 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 Switzerland’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1970 and 2022 the series was growing overall: +43.4% in total — about 0.7% 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: 4.86%; 2021: 5.03%; 2020: 5.28%; 2019: 5.01%; 2018: 4.93%. 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.