Timor-Leste — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for Timor-Leste, 2008–2023.
Education spending for Timor-Leste was 5.24% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 15 years, from 2008 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 12.90% in 2009. The lowest was 2.97% in 2021 (about 1.8× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -3.30% per year.
Timor-Leste ranks 46 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 27%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 4.25%, so Timor-Leste sits above it. It peaked in 2009 and has fallen 59% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 8%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 8 of 25 economies; New Zealand (5.21%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 76% in 2023. That is 12% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 3rd of 113 in 2008 → 2nd of 130 in 2010 → 108th of 157 in 2020 → 21st of 107 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2008 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.24% | +2.3 pp |
| 2021 | 2.97% | -0.7 pp |
| 2020 | 3.65% | -0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 4.18% | -2.7 pp |
| 2018 | 6.85% | -0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 7.17% | -1.0 pp |
| 2016 | 8.13% | -0.3 pp |
| 2015 | 8.47% | +1.0 pp |
| 2014 | 7.51% | +1.8 pp |
| 2013 | 5.67% | -1.5 pp |
| 2012 | 7.16% | -3.0 pp |
| 2011 | 10.19% | -0.9 pp |
| 2010 | 11.11% | -1.8 pp |
| 2009 | 12.9% | +4.2 pp |
| 2008 | 8.67% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Timor-Leste’s Education spending in 2009?
12.9% (2009). 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 Timor-Leste’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2008 and 2023 the series was shrinking overall: -39.6% in total — about 3.3% 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: 5.24%; 2021: 2.97%; 2020: 3.65%; 2019: 4.18%; 2018: 6.85%. 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.