How does Afghanistan rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?

Afghanistan ranks 90th out of 199 countries with data for 2017.

Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Afghanistan?

Over the last ten years it is up 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Afghanistan data come from?

The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Afghanistan

Name: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Afghanistan
Creator: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Afghanistan: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 4.3% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)

4.3%

Change on year

down 4.4%

World rank

90th

of 199 countries

All-time high

4.5%

in 2016

All-time low

2.6%

in 2012

Years of data

2010–2017

Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Afghanistan, 2010–2017

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Afghanistan is 4.3%, measured in 2017.

That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and up 24.8% over ten years.

Afghanistan ranks 90th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

87 Oman 4.4% compare
88 Peru 4.4% compare
89 Cape Verde 4.3% compare
91 Latvia 4.3% compare
92 Poland 4.3% compare
93 Czechia 4.3% compare

See the full ranking of 199 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

Number of child deaths per woman 0.1872 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 4.84 live births per woman (2023)
Fertility rate: births per woman 4.84 live births per woman (2023)
Fertility rate: births per woman 4.84 live births per woman (2023)
Human Development Index 0.496 (2023)
Rule of Law - Governance score 23.65 0-100 (2024)
Rule of Law - Governance estimate -1.94 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -2.15 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Voice and Accountability - Governance score 19.25 0-100 (2024)
Political Stability - Governance score 28.23 0-100 (2024)

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Afghanistan?: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Afghanistan was 4.3% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Afghanistan?: The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2016.
What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Afghanistan?: The lowest recorded value was 2.6% in 2012.
How does Afghanistan rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?: Afghanistan ranks 90th out of 199 countries with data for 2017.
Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Afghanistan?: Over the last ten years it is up 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?: The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education
Unit: % of GDP
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 199 places, 5,140 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.