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Government expenditure on education

30 European countries compared for 2024, eu average 4.7 % of GDP. Eurostat data.

First in the ranking

7.3 % of GDP

Sweden

EU average

4.7 % of GDP

27 member states

Median country

5.1 % of GDP

half above, half below

Range

2.7 to 7.3

Ireland - Sweden

How to read it

Across 30 countries, the highest value is in Sweden (7.3 % of GDP) and the lowest in Ireland (2.7 % of GDP).

Half of the countries are above 5.1 % of GDP and half below.

The EU average is 4.7 % of GDP; 19 of 30 countries are above it.

For the EU as a whole, the value fell from 5.0 % of GDP in 2010 to 4.7 % of GDP in 2024.

General government expenditure by function (COFOG)
Percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) · General government · Education · Total general government expenditure

Eurostat methods can differ from the World Bank data used elsewhere on the site - source and licence.

Education spending over time

% of GDP

Add to chart: European Union Euro area

Ranking of countries

2024

In chart
Sweden in chart	1	Sweden	7.3	+2.6
Iceland in chart	2	Iceland non-EU	7.0	+2.3
Finland in chart	3	Finland	6.3	+1.6
Belgium in chart	4	Belgium	6.3	+1.6
Estonia in chart	5	Estonia	6.3	+1.6
Latvia in chart	6	Latvia	6.1	+1.4
Denmark in chart	7	Denmark	5.6	+0.9
Poland in chart	8	Poland	5.6	+0.9
Lithuania in chart	9	Lithuania	5.5	+0.8
Slovenia in chart	10	Slovenia	5.5	+0.8
Austria in chart	11	Austria	5.3	+0.6
Switzerland in chart	12	Switzerland non-EU	5.3	+0.6
France in chart	13	France	5.1	+0.4
Netherlands in chart	14	Netherlands	5.1	+0.4
Slovakia in chart	15	Slovakia	5.1	+0.4
Luxembourg in chart	16	Luxembourg	5.0	+0.3
Cyprus in chart	17	Cyprus	5.0	+0.3
Croatia in chart	18	Croatia	5.0	+0.3
Hungary in chart	19	Hungary	4.9	+0.2
Norway in chart	20	Norway non-EU	4.7	0
Malta in chart	21	Malta	4.7	0
Czechia in chart	22	Czechia	4.5	−0.2
Germany in chart	23	Germany	4.5	−0.2
Bulgaria in chart	24	Bulgaria	4.3	−0.4
Portugal in chart	25	Portugal	4.3	−0.4
Spain in chart	26	Spain	4.1	−0.6
Romania in chart	27	Romania	4.0	−0.7
Italy in chart	28	Italy	4.0	−0.7
Greece in chart	29	Greece	3.9	−0.8
Ireland in chart	30	Ireland	2.7	−2.0

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart, up to six at a time - a chart with more lines stops being readable. The ranking is for the latest period in which most countries have a value. EU and euro area aggregates do not take part in the ranking.