Higher education spending as a share of GDP worldwide 2021, by country

Published by S. Galan, Feb 7, 2025

In 2021, Chile was the country that spent the highest share of its gross domestic product (GDP) on higher education, reaching 2.4 percent. Of this, 1.5 percent came from private sources. The United States followed behind with its total spending reaching 2.4 percent of its GDP. On the other hand, higher education spending in Saudi Arabia only amounted to 0.3 percent of its GDP. To find out more about the expenditure on higher education per student in selected countries worldwide, please click here.

Expenditure on higher education as a share of GDP in selected countries worldwide in 2021, by source of funding

CharacteristicPublicPrivate
Australia 0.7% 1.2%
Austria 1.7% 0.2%
Belgium 1.3% 0.2%
Canada 1.1% 0.9%
Chile 0.9% 1.5%
Costa Rica 1.3% 0.1%
Czechia 0.9% 0.2%
Denmark 1.6% 0.2%
Estonia 1.1% 0.2%
Finland 1.4% 0.1%
France 1.1% 0.5%
Germany 1.1% 0.2%
Hungary 1.2% 0.3%
Showing entries 1 to 13 (43 entries in total)
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Share of GDP0.7%0.7%1.7%1.7%1.3%1.3%1.1%1.1%0.9%0.9%1.3%1.3%0.9%0.9%1.6%1.6%1.1%1.1%1.4%1.4%1.1%1.1%1.1%1.1%1.2%1.2%1.2%1.2%0.5%0.5%0.7%0.7%0.6%0.6%0.5%0.5%0.7%0.7%0.8%0.8%0.8%0.8%0.4%0.4%0.8%0.8%1.3%1.3%0.9%0.9%1.7%1.7%1%1%0.7%0.7%0.8%0.8%1%1%1%1%1.3%1.3%1.3%1.3%1.1%1.1%0.5%0.5%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.7%0.7%0.8%0.8%0.7%0.7%0.3%0.3%0.7%0.7%1.2%1.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.9%0.9%1.5%1.5%0.1%0.1%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.1%0.1%0.5%0.5%0.2%0.2%0.3%0.3%0.1%0.1%0.2%0.2%0.5%0.5%0.4%0.4%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.3%0.3%0.3%0.3%0%0%0.4%0.4%0.4%0.4%0.6%0.6%0.1%0.1%0.2%0.2%0.4%0.4%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.2%0.4%0.4%0.2%0.2%0.4%0.4%1.6%1.6%1.4%1.4%0.4%0.4%0.3%0.3%0%0%1.9%1.9%1.9%1.9%1.5%1.5%2%2%2.4%2.4%1.4%1.4%1.1%1.1%1.8%1.8%1.3%1.3%1.5%1.5%1.6%1.6%1.3%1.3%1.5%1.5%1.3%1.3%0.7%0.7%1.2%1.2%1%1%1.4%1.4%1.6%1.6%1.1%1.1%1.1%1.1%0.4%0.4%1.2%1.2%1.7%1.7%1.5%1.5%1.8%1.8%1.2%1.2%1.1%1.1%1%1%1.2%1.2%1.4%1.4%1.5%1.5%1.3%1.3%1.5%1.5%2.1%2.1%2.3%2.3%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.9%1.1%1.1%1.1%1.1%0.7%0.7%0.3%0.3%0.7%0.7%PublicPrivateAustraliaAustriaBelgiumCanadaChileCosta RicaCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGermanyHungaryIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyJapan*South KoreaLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMexicoNetherlandsNew ZealandNorwayPolandPortugalSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUnited KingdomUnited StatesArgentinaBrazilBulgariaCroatiaRomaniaSaudi ArabiaSouth Africa
0%0.2%0.4%0.6%0.8%1%1.2%1.4%1.6%1.8%2%2.2%2.4%2.6%2.8%

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Release date

September 2024

Region

Worldwide

Survey time period

2021

Special properties

Funds after transfers between public and private institutions

Supplementary notes

Blank=missing value.
*Includes data from another category.

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Statistics on " Higher education worldwide "

Other statistics that may interest you Higher education worldwide

Overview

7

Universities

6

Students

7

Student mobility

3

Expenditure & costs

3

Further related statistics

17

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