United Kingdom — Education spending
Government Education Spending (% of GDP) for United Kingdom, 1971–2021.
Education spending for United Kingdom was 5.91% in 2021, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 46 years, from 1971 to 2021. The highest recorded value was 6.42% in 1976. The lowest was 3.99% in 1999 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.32% per year.
United Kingdom ranks 28 of 172 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 16%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 4.59%, so United Kingdom sits above it. It peaked in 1976 and has fallen 8% since. Over the last decade (2011–2021) the figure moved up 6%. Within Europe & Central Asia it ranks 8 of 45 economies; Tajikistan (5.44%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 16% in 1980. That is 8% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 11th of 53 in 1971 → 22nd of 63 in 1980 → 21st of 50 in 1990 → 56th of 116 in 2000 → 26th of 130 in 2010 → 42nd of 157 in 2020 → 22nd of 152 in 2021.
Key figures
Full history — 1971 to 2021
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5.91% | +0.5 pp |
| 2020 | 5.44% | +0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 5.26% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 5.2% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 5.45% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 5.43% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 5.55% | -0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 5.6% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 5.53% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 5.57% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 5.7% | +0.6 pp |
| 2009 | 5.06% | +0.2 pp |
| 2008 | 4.91% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 4.92% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 4.98% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 4.93% | +0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 4.74% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 4.8% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 4.61% | +0.5 pp |
| 2001 | 4.1% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 4.02% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 3.99% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 4.21% | -0.2 pp |
| 1996 | 4.38% | -0.5 pp |
| 1995 | 4.84% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 4.85% | +0.5 pp |
| 1992 | 4.33% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 4.12% | +0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 4.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 1989 | 4.13% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 4.27% | -0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 4.37% | -0.0 pp |
| 1986 | 4.38% | -0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 4.59% | -0.3 pp |
| 1984 | 4.9% | -0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 5.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 5.19% | -0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 5.29% | +0.2 pp |
| 1980 | 5.07% | -1.0 pp |
| 1977 | 6.06% | -0.4 pp |
| 1976 | 6.42% | +0.2 pp |
| 1975 | 6.27% | +0.9 pp |
| 1974 | 5.39% | -0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 5.45% | +0.3 pp |
| 1972 | 5.16% | +0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 5.03% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was United Kingdom’s Education spending in 1972?
5.16% (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 United Kingdom’s Education spending growing or shrinking?
Between 1971 and 2021 the series was growing overall: +17.4% 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: 2021: 5.91%; 2020: 5.44%; 2019: 5.26%; 2018: 5.2%; 2017: 5.45%. 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.