Countries in Oceania Ranked by Education expenditure share of GDP (2023)
Education expenditure share of GDP: each country's latest value (2018–2023), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Kiribati ranks #1 with 16.4% of GDP. Tuvalu is second with 12.8% of GDP, 27.6% behind. The top five are Kiribati, Tuvalu, Micronesia, Fed. Sts., Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands. The median across all 14 is 5.62% of GDP; Papua New Guinea is last at 0.782% of GDP. Kiribati's figure has risen 69% since 1999 (9.71% of GDP to 16.4% of GDP in 2023).
- #1
- Kiribati · 16.4% of GDP
- Median
- 5.62% of GDP
- Coverage
- 14 countries in Oceania
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Education expenditure share of GDP (% of GDP) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiribati | 16.4 | 2023 |
| 2 | Tuvalu | 12.8 | 2023 |
| 3 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 11.6 | 2020 |
| 4 | Solomon Islands | 8.29 | 2023 |
| 5 | Marshall Islands | 7.7 | 2022 |
| 6 | Vanuatu | 7.64 | 2024 |
| 7 | Naoero | 5.78 | 2023 |
| 8 | Samoa | 5.46 | 2024 |
| 9 | Tonga | 5.31 | 2022 |
| 10 | New Zealand | 5.21 | 2023 |
| 11 | Australia | 5.06 | 2022 |
| 12 | Fiji | 4.25 | 2023 |
| 13 | Palau | 3.44 | 2023 |
| 14 | Papua New Guinea | 0.782 | 2023 |
About the top 10
#1 Kiribati
Kiribati ranks #1 on this list with 16.4% of GDP.
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 136,490 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$349.23 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,559 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in education expenditure share of gdp · #2 in government revenue share of gdp · #3 in income share of poorest 10%.
#2 Tuvalu
Tuvalu ranks #2 on this list with 12.8% of GDP.
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 9,492 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.35 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,041 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in agricultural land share · #1 in health expenditure share of gdp · #1 in literacy rate.
#3 Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. ranks #3 on this list with 11.6% of GDP (2020).
- Capital
- Palikir
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 113,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$501.8 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,414 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest area share · #3 in education expenditure share of gdp · #7 in health expenditure share of gdp.
#4 Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands ranks #4 on this list with 8.29% of GDP.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 838,650 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.75 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,086 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest rents share of gdp · #2 in female labour force participation · #3 in labour force participation rate.
#5 Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands ranks #5 on this list with 7.7% of GDP (2022).
- Capital
- Majuro
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 36,282 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$308 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,489 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in diabetes prevalence · #5 in health expenditure share of gdp · #5 in completion rate (lower secondary).
#6 Vanuatu
Vanuatu ranks #6 on this list with 7.64% of GDP (2024).
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 335,170 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,039 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in school enrolment (secondary) · #6 in completion rate (primary) · #9 in rural population share.
#7 Naoero
Naoero ranks #7 on this list with 5.78% of GDP.
- Capital
- Yaren District
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 12,025 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$176.04 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,640 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in government revenue share of gdp · #2 in health expenditure share of gdp · #8 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#8 Samoa
Samoa ranks #8 on this list with 5.46% of GDP (2024).
- Capital
- Apia
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 219,310 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.29 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,873 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in rural population share · #4 in diabetes prevalence · #16 in age dependency ratio.
#9 Tonga
Tonga ranks #9 on this list with 5.31% of GDP (2022).
- Capital
- Nukuʻalofa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 103,740 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$679.22 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,547 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #7 in rural population share · #10 in completion rate (primary) · #11 in income share of poorest 10%.
#10 New Zealand
New Zealand ranks #10 on this list with 5.21% of GDP.
- Capital
- Wellington
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.32 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$264.06 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$49,591 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 84% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Auckland.
Also ranks #3 in voice and accountability score · #4 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in control of corruption score.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Education expenditure share of GDP: each country's latest value (2018–2023), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP): Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.