Thailand — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Thailand, 1971–2023.
Education spending for Thailand was 2.52% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 49 years, from 1971 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 5.25% in 2000. The lowest was 2.15% in 1974 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.38% per year.
Thailand ranks 149 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 87%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 4.25%, so Thailand sits below it. It peaked in 2000 and has fallen 52% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 39%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 21 of 25 economies; Singapore (2.19%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 37% in 2011. That is 24% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 35th of 53 in 1971 → 50th of 63 in 1980 → 29th of 116 in 2000 → 82nd of 130 in 2010 → 126th of 157 in 2020 → 85th of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 2.61% | -0.4 pp |
| 2021 | 2.98% | -0.2 pp |
| 2020 | 3.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 3.02% | -0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 3.2% | -0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 3.47% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 3.77% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 3.86% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 3.92% | -0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 4.12% | -0.4 pp |
| 2012 | 4.54% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 4.81% | +1.3 pp |
| 2010 | 3.51% | -0.4 pp |
| 2009 | 3.86% | +0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 3.51% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 3.6% | -0.4 pp |
| 2006 | 4.05% | +0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 3.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 4.03% | +0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 3.73% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 3.86% | -1.0 pp |
| 2001 | 4.82% | -0.4 pp |
| 2000 | 5.25% | +0.4 pp |
| 1999 | 4.83% | +0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 4.63% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 4.58% | +1.1 pp |
| 1996 | 3.5% | +0.4 pp |
| 1995 | 3.14% | -0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 3.41% | +0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 3.05% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 3.09% | +0.6 pp |
| 1989 | 2.5% | -0.3 pp |
| 1988 | 2.75% | -0.4 pp |
| 1987 | 3.12% | -0.3 pp |
| 1986 | 3.41% | -0.0 pp |
| 1984 | 3.44% | -0.0 pp |
| 1983 | 3.46% | +0.2 pp |
| 1982 | 3.27% | +0.4 pp |
| 1981 | 2.88% | +0.3 pp |
| 1980 | 2.57% | -0.3 pp |
| 1979 | 2.85% | -0.4 pp |
| 1977 | 3.22% | +0.2 pp |
| 1976 | 3.02% | +0.6 pp |
| 1975 | 2.38% | +0.2 pp |
| 1974 | 2.15% | -0.4 pp |
| 1973 | 2.55% | -0.5 pp |
| 1972 | 3.03% | -0.0 pp |
| 1971 | 3.07% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Thailand’s Education spending in 1972?
3.03% (1972). 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 Thailand’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -17.8% in total — about 0.4% 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: 2.52%; 2022: 2.61%; 2021: 2.98%; 2020: 3.15%; 2019: 3.02%. 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.