Countries Ranked by Education expenditure share of GDP in 2020
Education expenditure share of GDP for each country in 2020, ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
In 2020, Kiribati ranks #1 with 16.2% of GDP. Tuvalu is second with 14.5% of GDP, 11.6% behind. The top five are Kiribati, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Fed. Sts. and Cuba. The median across all 170 is 4.41% of GDP; Somalia, Fed. Rep. is last at 0% of GDP.
- #1
- Kiribati · 16.2% of GDP
- Median
- 4.41% of GDP
- Coverage
- 170 countries
- Data year
- 2020
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 170. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Kiribati
Kiribati ranks #1 on this list with 16.2% 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 14.5% 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 Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands ranks #3 on this list with 13.8% of GDP.
- 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).
#4 Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. ranks #4 on this list with 11.6% of GDP.
- 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.
#5 Cuba
Cuba ranks #5 on this list with 11.5% of GDP.
- Capital
- Havana
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 10.94 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$107.35 billion (2020)
- GDP per person
- US$9,605 (2020)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 77.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Havana.
Also ranks #1 in physicians per 1,000 · #2 in women in parliament share · #3 in immunisation (measles) rate.
#6 Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands ranks #6 on this list with 9.64% 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.
#7 Namibia
Namibia ranks #7 on this list with 9.28% of GDP.
- Capital
- Windhoek
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 3.09 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$15.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,876 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 50.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in women in ministerial positions share · #2 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in education expenditure share of gdp.
#8 Iceland
Iceland ranks #8 on this list with 8.58% of GDP.
- Capital
- Reykjavík
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 392,400 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$38.58 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$98,323 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 94.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in energy use per capita · #1 in bank accounts share (adults) · #1 in water resources per capita.
#9 Bolivia
Bolivia ranks #9 on this list with 8.44% of GDP.
- Capital
- La Paz, Sucre
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$64.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Also ranks #2 in real effective exchange rate index · #3 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #4 in women in parliament share.
#10 Norway
Norway ranks #10 on this list with 8.37% of GDP.
- Capital
- Oslo
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.61 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$530.76 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$94,594 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 83.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim.
Also ranks #2 in nurses and midwives per 1,000 · #2 in voice and accountability score · #3 in gni per capita.
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 for each country in 2020, 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.